Those We Protect
by Dragonwing Writer
Summary: A few months after the Great Thaw it seems that Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff can finally have fun times and peace. But for one with ice powers a quiet life just doesn't happen. When Arendelle falls into the grips of a new threat Elsa fears she may be forced to use her powers in a way she never wanted to. Even with Anna at her side she might not be able to save those she holds dear.
1. Ginger Snaps

**A/N **This chapter has been updated from the original publication. Mostly just minor fixes of typos on the sentence level.

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><p>Anna sat waiting on the stone railing just outside the castle gates. Though the area was usually bustling with activity a chilly breeze was keeping it mostly empty.<p>

Despite the cooling temperature the last few months had been some of the best Anna could remember. Elsa had come out of her shell and Anna could be with her again. With the gates open she could explore and meet new people. She hadn't seen Kristoff as much as she'd have liked but he was never far away. He had taken her to see the trolls a few weeks ago and they had had a fun time then. Excepting of course, the times when the Trolls imposed awkward questions or jumped to conclusions (she and Kristoff had quickly brushed past a question on baby names). But Anna was learning to roll with it.

The only real concern of late had been a few days ago when Arendelle's emissary had sent word of a group that were heading north, towards Arendelle. But he had reported the threat to be minimal and that he and his troops could stop them.

Anna jumped down as she saw a sled coming towards her. It was pulled by a reindeer and clattered against the road that lacked the snow for proper use.

"Hey!" Anna called waving.

"Hey yourself!" Kristoff called back around his grin. He leaned forward in the sled. "Faster Sven!"

Sven obligingly sped up, tongue dangling from his mouth. Anna jumped onto the sled as it skidded by. Kristoff grabbed her arm as she did to help her up.

"You've been away so long I almost thought you'd forgotten about me." Anna nudged Kristoff with her shoulder. "I missed you."

"So long? I was only gone for a week." He nudged her back before adding, "I missed you to." He jerked a thumb back to point at the rectangular bundle in the back of the sled as Sven ran into the courtyard. "I got the ice you ordered that you don't need."

"Don't belittle yourself," Anna said as Sven slowed to a stop.

Kristoff stepped out of the sled. "Why would you need ice in late autumn when you're living with Elsa?"

Anna jumped down after him and patted Sven. "Ice is always a good thing to have."

Kristoff unloaded the ice and walked over to Anna who was trying her best to support Sven as he leaned into her. "I don't see how it could be on high demand. Elsa could just conjure some. If you even needed it."

Anna pushed Sven into a fully upright position and withdrew her hands. "You say that but I know you'd hate it if you lost your job. Besides, Elsa swore she'd never use her powers like that."

Kristoff unstrapped the reins from Sven. "Use them like what? Is my job really that important?"

"It's not just your job. Elsa swore to never use her powers for monetary reasons. It's the same reason she doesn't use her powers to make an army of snowmen to do all of our work for us."

Kristoff mussed the fur on Sven's head. "I don't think those two things are exactly on the same level as each other."

"Exploitation leads to temptation. If you want to discuss it, take it up with Elsa."

"What about the ice rinks or snow flurries she makes?"

"Those are just for fun. She doesn't want to give up her powers, just use them fairly."

"If you say so." Kristoff pulled a few more items from the sled. "By the way, I stopped by the trolls on while I was up north. The said that they missed you."

Anna giggled and took a step closer to him. "You should hear some of the things they said about you."

Kristoff laughed nervously."Did I ever mention that trolls are pathological liars?"

Anna poked him. "Don't say things like that about your family."

"Family? Well, they are like a family to me but legally they're just friends," Kristoff said.

"That's no excuse," Anna teased.

"Sure it is. Under troll law anyway." Kristoff stumbled over his words.

"So trolls have their own law then, do they?"

Kristoff regained his composure. "Of course. They even have their own government. You met Tony didn't you?"

"Tony?" Anna said with some surprise. "So Tony actually is heir to the throne and all those things?"

"Yep, it's just a lot less glamorous than that. The other trolls don't take the government that seriously. Except Grand Pabbie of course."

"So they have laws, they just don't really care about them?"

"More or less."

Sven nudged Kristoff with his nose. "I'm hungry!" Kristoff said, voicing Sven's words. Kristoff laughed. "Aren't you always?" he pulled out a carrot and handed it to Sven who eagerly bit off half. Kristoff took a bite out of the other half and patted Sven.

"You know," Anna said crossing her arms, "since you aren't exactly poverty-stricken you could just each have a whole carrot."

"Sharing helps remind him to be polite," Kristoff said. Sven shook his head and snorted.

"Why couldn't you take the first bite and give the rest to Sven? It would amount to the same thing."

"If it amounts to the same thing what difference does it make?" Kristoff took another bite of the carrot.

Anna held up a finger and recited. "Lips that touch reindeer spit shall never touch mine."

Sven looked indignant. "Hey, don't insult Sven's oral hygiene," Kristoff said.

"I just can't trust you two alone together can I?"Elsa called from the balcony above them.

"Hey!" Anna called back. "It's not nice to eavesdrop on people!"

"I wasn't eavesdropping," Elsa said with a laugh, "Olaf sent me to get you. Unless you don't _ want_ any of his ginger snaps." She heaved a dramatic sigh. "I guess I'll have to try my best to eat them all myself." She turned to walk back inside the castle.

"Don't you dare!" Anna shouted and dashed towards the castle. Kristoff laughed and ran after her. Sven pranced off the opposite direction.

-x-X-x-

In spite of, of perhaps because, of the fact that he himself could not eat, Olaf enjoyed cooking immensely. Ever since he had learned how, and how to make it palatable, the kitchen had been a wreck and the scent of ginger and cinnamon lingered everywhere. (They had recently taught him what cinnamon doesn't go with. Stews, for instance.)

Olaf, at present, was removing a pan of ginger snaps from the oven, using blacksmith's tongs for safety's sake, and scooped them onto a plate. The small flurry that surrounded him sprinkled the snaps with snowflakes that dwindled for a moment before melting.

-x-X-x-

Anna skidded around a corner, racing towards the kitchen.

-x-X-x-

Kristoff ran full tilt down a hall.

-x-X-x-

Elsa glided quickly down a staircase.

-x-X-x-

Olaf started to feed Sven a plate of the cookies through the window.

-x-X-x-

Anna and Kristoff ran into each other as the rounded on the kitchen door.

"Sorry," they said simultaneously.

Anna opened the door to see Elsa already taking a bite of one of the ginger snaps.

"I know you're cheating. I don't know how, but you are. Not even my new shortcut worked," Anna said.

Elsa swallowed. "They really are terrific. Had you taken much longer I'd have had to eat them all myself."

Anna snatched up one of the ginger snaps. "Then we'd have to tailor all of you clothes to fit the extra thirty inches," she said innocently.

Elsa choked on a bite. "That's it, you asked for it!" She threw a flurry at Anna. The cloud darted around her head and sprinkled her with snow.

"No fair," Anna said swiping at the cloud.

"Hey, if you two are going to kill each other at least do it when I won't be caught in the crossfire," Kristoff said. He gave Sven a bite of a ginger snap and popped the rest into his own mouth.

"You're doing it again," Anna said.

"Doing what?"

"You're going to be doomed to air kisses from now on."

Olaf sidled up next to the window where Sven's head leaned through. "Aren't they cute?" Olaf said as he gazed at the others.

The door swung open and a lady-in-waiting stepped in. She wore a green dress with an apron and a worried expression. "Queen Elsa," she addressed nervously.

Elsa finished her snap with a giggle. "Yes, what is it?"

"Kai sent me. He said that the emissary has returned," the lady-in-waiting said with a slight curtsy.

Elsa straitened, suddenly serious. "The soldiers are back?"

"No." The lady-in-waiting shook her head. "The soldiers aren't back. Just the emissary."


	2. No Choice

**A/N****: **This chapter has been updated from the original publication. It was brought to my attention that the first paragraph left ambiguous what I meant to be clear. hopefully, I fixed that.

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><p>They arrived at the council room to find Jacob waiting for them. In five days' time the room would be prepared for the regular council meeting. These had been started by Elsa herself to help return the kingdom to order. When it would come the curtains would be open, flooding the room with light. But now the room was dimly lit and table meant to seat dozens held only four.<p>

"What happened?" Elsa asked the aged emissary no sooner than she sat down. Anna took a seat one down from the head of the table, where Elsa was sitting, and Kristoff hovered behind unsure of where to sit.

"In short, we lost," Jacob said.

"How is that possible?" Kristoff interjected.

Jacob looked at Kristoff. "Who are you?"

"What he means to say is that the threat had been reported to be minimal," Elsa said.

Anna was glad that Elsa, despite the fact that she seemed like a completely different person she was acting as queen, had covered for Kristoff.

Jacob looked uneasy but continued. "The information was misleading; they were not a random band of thieves and bandits. They where an organized group over mercenaries who travel the lands under to name the Army of the Wastes."

"How could the information have been incorrect?" Elsa said.

"And why would they call themselves 'the Army of the Wastes'?" Anna added.

Elsa placed a hand on Anna's. "Now is not the time."

"Sorry."

Jacob continue in unwavering tones. "The Army of the Wastes is an infamous band in the southern regions. They survived by pillaging and looting. They where a menace to smaller villages but were to small in numbers to be considered a threat to a whole kingdom."

Elsa smoothed her hair back as she absorbed this. "Then why did they come this far north? And how were they able to defeat your troops?"

"A few years ago a ruthless rogue named Dagon joined their ranks and appointed himself as leader. He transformed the group of thieves into a band of vicious pillagers. It seems that he has set his sights on the richer lands or Arendelle."

"Are they really a threat?" Anna said. "We can handle them right? Now that we know better we can send a larger group of soldiers, or set up some kind of defense."

"I am afraid that it is not that simple. After certain recent event that," Jacob gave an awkward cough, "left Arendelle's resources diminished we are unable to spare the manpower to stop them."

Elsa leaned back in her chair and stared at the wall.

"If I may," Kristoff said, "couldn't we ask for help? I'm sure one of the neighboring countries would be willing to aid us."

Jacob shook his head. "The Army of the Wastes are too close; the only countries that we could get word to quickly enough would be Weselton and the Southern Isle. Neither of them would be willing to help."

Anna's cheeks turned a flustered shade of red as though she were trying to hold back a scream. "Shouldn't the Southern Isle be trying to make up for what Hans did or something?"

Jacob gave a small cough into one hand. "After Prince Hans's return he was able to convince his brothers that he had been victimized by Arendelle."

"That's outrageous!" Kristoff said.

"After I joined the council I have spent much time, and sent many men, south of Arendelle. During these trips I was informed that Prince Hans, while not escaping punishment entirely, was able to argue his case so as to make the Southern Isle deem us an enemy."

"Why have I not been informed about this?" Elsa said.

"We all know that that last few months have been treacherous for us all. I was waiting for a more opportune time."

A thought struck Elsa. "If our allies are too far away to reach us then how close must the Army of the Wastes be?"

"Three days away. No more."

"I can go," Kristoff said. "I know some men. I can gather them together and head them off-"

"Oh, no you don't!" Anna said. "Not gonna happen. I'm not about to let you go out there and get yourself killed."

Kristoff crossed his arms. "Do you really care about me that much?"

"It's not just that, what if something _did_ happen to you? We wouldn't have our ice supplies anymore."

"As if we'll ever have an ice shortage with your sister as queen."

"Don't talk like that. We already went over this."

"Stop, both of you." Elsa stood up and looked at Jacob. "What would happen if they made it to Arendelle?"

Jacob paused for a moment before speaking. "They would pillage the kingdom, storm the palace, take anything of value, kill anyone they saw, and capture and kill you and your sister-or worse."

Elsa slid back into her chair.

"That sounds pretty bad..." Anna said. Kristoff lay a hand on her arm to quiet her but she shook him off. "How can they really be a threat? There has to be a way to stop them! We could make a deal-or a bargain... I'm sure that we can do _something!_"

"I am afraid we cannot," Jacob said. "These people cannot be reasoned with. They are a group of savages. They loot and pillage to survive. They disregard human life and will not stop until they bring Arendelle to its knees."

"Arendelle is not without defenses," Elsa said. "Surely our walls could hold them off."

"You already know that that will not work. Arendelle stretches beyond the reaches of the walls. Close the gates and the people will become a target. We simply do not have the time or resources to hold them off."

"And we really can't fight?" Kristoff asked.

"My men and I tried to fight but we were overpowered in an instant. They were captured and I had no choice but to leave them behind as I fled." Jacob gave Elsa a hard look. "You know what must be done."

"There has to be another way," Elsa said, her voice barely audible.

"I fear there is not."

They sat silently. Finally, Elsa spoke, "so I have no choice then."

"What are you talking about?" Anna grabbed her sister's arm.

"You know what I mean," Elsa said. "I'll have to stop them myself." She turned to face Jacob. "Prepare an escort to the border. Use as few men as possible."

"Upon my life," Jacob said. He stood and left the room.

Anna stood up. "Elsa you can't be serious-"

"Anna, stop." Elsa rose to meet her sister and put her hands on Anna's shoulders. "I need you to stay here and look after the people."

Anna crossed her arms indignantly. "Nope. Nu-huh. Not gonna happen. If you go then I go."

"Anna..." Elsa trailed off.

"I'll come too," Kristoff said. "I owe you both that much." They stood unmoving until Anna gave a slight tilt of her head to Kristoff. He turned and walked to the door. "I'll leave you too alone. I'd better go tell Sven," he said in a low voice before leaving.

Anna watched him go but as soon as the door closed she turned back to face her sister. "You can't just risk your life like that! There has to be another way!"

"Not without endangering more people," Elsa said.

Anna opened her mouth to speak but closed it again without saying anything. Elsa turned and walked to a window. She parted the curtain with one hand and gazed outside. "You really shouldn't come with me; if anything happens while I'm away the kingdom will need you."

"I have to go. I want to be there for you, whenever you need me." Anna stepped over next to her sister.

"Thank you," Elsa said under her breath.

Anna stepped a bit closer. "Hey, it's going to be okay. You can control your powers now."

"I'm afraid." Elsa turned away from the window. "I never wanted to use my powers like this. I might make a mistake. If I hurt them, how will I better that they are?"

"You don't have to hurt anyone. Maybe you can just scare them or something," Anna said.

"Jacob said that they survive by pillaging and looting. If I stop them I may well be killing them. I fear the blood may already be on my hands." Elsa turned and started to walk to the door.

"Wait!" Anna said.

"Yes?" Elsa turned her head to face her sister.

"I'm here for you. Any burden that lands on your shoulders I can carry too. You don't have to face this alone."

"Thank you," Elsa said before leaving.


	3. The Road Ahead

**A/N **This chapter has been updated from the original publication. I edited a line that I felt to have been pointless and was bugging the heck out of me. The later removed an authors note which I thought to be no longer necessary. Also do to a mistake this chapter may have been totally different for a few minutes. If you're reading this it's fixed.

**A/N **First off, thanks to those who read, reviewed followed and favorited. It makes a huge difference that you're reading this.

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><p>The sun was sinking in the horizon as Kristoff gave Sven his farewells. It was not the first time Kristoff had said goodbye to Sven over the last five hours and It still didn't feel right to Kristoff to leave him. He couldn't remember ever having to say goodbye to his friend before. The only time they had been separated was when the ice on the fjord had broken just a few months ago. Kristoff hugged Sven. "This is the second time I'm leaving you behind for the sake of a human," he said. "Let's hope I don't ever have leave you again."<p>

Kristoff mussed the fur on Sven's head. "You'll have to be a good reindeer while I'm away, Sven."

Sven snorted and pawed at the ground.

"Sorry boy, but you can't come with me this time. You're going to have to protect Arendelle for me while I'm gone." Kristoff straightened and saluted."If anything happens to me you'll have to protect the people." Sven puffed out his chest and nodded.

"You can count on me," Kristoff said, voicing Sven's words for him.

"Good boy." Kristoff patted Sven on the head one last time and turned to walk away. He felt Sven's nose poking him from behind. Kristoff turned back around.

"You have to wait here for me," Kristoff said. Sven took another step forward. "Stay, Sven."

Sven dropped his bottom onto the ground. Kristoff waited a moment before he walked away. With one last glance to check on Sven Kristoff strode across the courtyard. As he walked Anna came up beside him, matching his pace.

Anna pulled her shawl tighter around herself. "It's kind of scary to think what may happen," she said.

Kristoff hardly thought "kind of scary" quite covered it. "I told Sven we were coming back. What if I was wrong?"

"We _are_ coming back." Anna added an intensity the steps she took.

Kristoff looked over at her. She had squared off her shoulders and added a confident stride to her walk. Everything about her body language said that she was trying to convince herself that what she said was true. Kristoff tried to do the same but fell short when he thought of Sven.

"What did you tell Olaf?" Kristoff asked.

Anna's shoulders fell into their normal position and she wrung her hands together. "I told him that Arendelle would need him if anything happened to us."

"I told Sven the same thing," Kristoff said. "How's Elsa?"

Anna looked away. "I don't know; she's blocking things out. I'm worried about her. But she can do it! I know she can!"

"I'm glad one of us has confidence in me," Elsa said.

Kristoff jumped. "I didn't hear you coming," he said.

Anna thumped Kristoff. "And if you can make him jump so easily you'll make those sissy bandits scatter no problem."

"I'm glad to be a service." Kristoff gave his stomach a soothing rub.

"I had Jacob prepare a carriage," Elsa said. "Once we're outside the city we'll have almost no protection."

"Who all knows about what we're doing?" Kristoff asked.

"I told Kai and gave him instructions on what to do should we fail-"

"Which is not going to happen," Anna interjected.

"- and I told him to keep my leaving a secret for as long as possible. I can't let the people know about this yet."

"Are you sure that's best?" Anna said.

Elsa was quiet for a few moments before she replied. "I'm the queen. It's my job and duty to protect the people. Even if what I'm protecting them from is myself. I don't want to hide and I don't want to conceal my powers. But I also don't want to hurt anyone. So I made an oath to never use my powers for offensive purposes. If what I am about to do became known to the public they may mistrust or fear me. Worse they may want me to use my powers like this again. I am who I am but I must put the people first. So I can't tell them what I'm about to do."

"_We_," Anna said. "We're doing this together."

Elsa gave her sister a smile. "Yes, we. I only told those who are most trusted to me. I also made sure that the others who are coming are nothing short of the best."

"How many others are coming?" Kristoff asked.

"Two," Elsa replied. "Jacob and a driver."

"Who's the driver?" Kristoff asked as they reached the carriage. Jacob was waiting for them with the door open. The carriage itself was boxy with no windows. There was a team of horses reined in front but the driver's seat was empty.

"Heeey, Anna, Kristoff. What are the odds I'd run into you here?" Olaf said.

"Olaf?" Ana said, "I thought I told you to stay here."

"If here is where you are then I _am _ staying," Olaf said with his trademark laugh. "Besides, if you all want to go off somewhere and die the least I can do is chauffeur you."

"What?" Anna said, "First off, no one's dying and second-"

"One way or another someone may have to." Elsa stepped into the carriage. "We had better get going."

Olaf climbed up into the driver's seat and waved at a horse in the front. "How's it going Sonja?" he called. The horse whinnied in response.

Kristoff climbed into the carriage muttering something about snowmen and driving skills. Once he was in Anna climbed after him. The carriage was tight and had two seats on either side. Anna climbed over Kristoff to and sat across from her sister. Elsa averted her eyes but Anna kept hers fixed on Elsa. It worried Anna to see her sister like this. She had hoped that after returning to Arendelle as queen Elsa would never have to be scared again.

Jacob climbed in and closed the door.

"Off we go!" Olaf cried. "Hurry up Dasher! Don't be pushy Vixen!"

"Those sound like reindeer names," Kristoff said.

"Olaf's given names to all of the animals within a mile of the castle. He ran out of good ones about halfway," Anna said.

"Are you sure it's a good idea that he comes with us?"

"Kristoff!" Anna nudged him with her arm.

"Hey! I'm-umm-just saying something might happen to him," Kristoff said.

"Don't worry. Nothing will happen," Olaf called, "I'm sure the Army of the Wastes are just the nicest band of pillaging bandits there is! All we'll have to do is talk to them and tell each other what our favorite books are, what our favorite food is. Oh yeah, and then we can all get together and play a game of..." Olaf continue to roll off the list of all the pleasantries that were sure to happen when they met the invaders.

"How many did you say made up the Army of the Wastes?" Elsa asked Jacob.

"I didn't get a good estimate. My men were defeated too quickly," Jacob said.

"How many men did you have?" Kristoff asked.

Jacob paused. "Twenty."

Kristoff looked up. "Just twenty?"

Jacob glared at Kristoff. "The threat was reported to be minimal."

"Didn't you make the report?" Kristoff said. Anna put another elbow in his side. "I mean, if you only had twenty men then it seems like Arendelle could do a lot better-"

"The number doesn't matter," Jacob interrupted. "I had twenty. If I was given twice that, even three times, the result would have been the same. Right now Arendelle doesn't have the manpower to spare on a big enough front to defeat the Army of the Wastes. I will not underestimate them again."

"You said yourself that you didn't get a good gauge of how many there were. It might be possible for a larger group-"

"Stop, both of you," Anna said. "You're talking as if people are resources to be spent!"

"Sorry," Kristoff said. "I just thought there might be another way."

"The stakes are too high to attempt anything reckless," Jacob said.

Elsa raised one hand and sent a spiral of frost corkscrewing upwards. "Right now I'm Arendelle's only hope," she said to which Jacob nodded. Elsa closed her hand. "If anything goes wrong, if I lose control of my power in any way, I want you to do whatever it takes to stop me."

"That's not going to happen!" Anna said.

"It's just a precaution. I've never done something like this before and I might-"

"You won't 'might' anything! You can control your powers now!"

"I know." Elsa tired to give her sister a smile. "I just want to make sure everyone's safe. I'm afraid..."

"You'll be fine," Anna said, softening her voice. "I know you can do it."

"But it's not right!" Elsa said. "I don't _want_ to use my powers to hurt _anyone!_ I tried to make everyone believe that they could be used for good but what if all I can do is hurt things?" Elsa buried her knuckles into her forehead.

"Elsa!" Kristoff shouted.

Anna looked down to see the seat Elsa was sitting in had frozen over.

"No!" Elsa cried. Anna's hands forward to grab Elsa's shoulders.

"You're fine, I'm here. You don't have to be afraid," Anna said trying to make her voice sound confident. Elsa closed her eyes and took a breath. Slowly, the ice retracted.

"See?" Anna said. "You can control it."

"Besides, you made me didn't you?" Olaf's voice came from outside, "how bad could you be?"

"What?" Elsa said, looking up. There was a thump and a shuffle and the door to the carriage opened.

"I said 'you made me didn't you? how bad could you be?'" Olaf said.

Elsa looked at her hand. "Thank you," she said.

"Your powers have hardly done anything wrong," Olaf continued. "Besides freezing Anna's head, and her heart, and casting Arendelle into an eternal winter. But if you hadn't done that then none of us would have ever-"

"Olaf," Kristoff said.

"Yes?" The snowman said.

"Shouldn't you be driving?" Kristoff clutched at his seat.

Olaf looked out at the horses. "Don't worry. They don't listen to me anyway."

"Maybe we should turn back," Kristoff said.

"It's fine Kristoff," Elsa said. "Olaf, maybe you had better keep an eye on the horses anyway."

"Kristoff may be right," Anna said. "If you aren't sure you're up to this we can turn around."

Elsa shook her head. "I'm fine." She created a snowball and sent it flying around Anna before making it explode into white powder, provoking a giggle from Anna.. "See? I'm fine. you don't have to worry about me."

"I'm always going to worry about you," Anna said.

"I think I'm the one who's supposed to say that," Elsa said.

"Yeah right. How come despite your being the queen, and your being my older sister, I'm always the one helping _you _out?" Anna pointed an accusatory finger at Elsa. Elsa reached out a hand to push Anna's aside.

"As if. You couldn't last one day without me cleaning up after you."

"Clean up after me? I'm not a little girl anymore!"

Elsa cracked a smile. "Then maybe you should stop acting like one."

"_Acting like one?_ If I-"

"Whoa, slow down there feisty pants. Let's save the hostility for the kingdom of the wastes," Kristoff said.

"Oh, yeah sure, go ahead and take her side why don't you?" Anna said. She crossed her arms and hunched he shoulders. "See what I care. I don't need either of you anyway."

Kristoff sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I saw that!" Anna said. "If you want to salvage any part of this relationship you'd better apologize right now!"

"C'mon, don't be like that." Kristoff said.

"Be like what? I'm not being like anything." Anna turned to face away from him. Which meant staring at the wall given the tight quarters.

Elsa stopped listening to them and gave a small smile. Those two had the strangest ways of teasing each other. Elsa shifted her gaze to her hand; more importantly, she had also been able to change the subject.


	4. Encounter

**A/N: **I wanted to share a quick bit of the writing process so that I could, in turn, avoid future explanations.

About halfway through summer I got the idea for this story and started to write it. During this time I avoided reading any Frozen FanFiction to make sure they wouldn't influence my writing. So I finished the first few drafts of the story and started to publish. But during my revising, when I started to read other FanFiction, I found a few stories that shared some large similarities to mine. While I didn't find any stories whose plots resembled mine I did find concepts and thought processes that, in some cases, were scarily similar. Including ones that were better than mine (_awk-ward _). Some of these I removed but others I kept do to necessity. I suppose what I'm trying to say is:

Any resemblances between my story and any other FanFiction living or dead in purely coincidental.

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><p>Anna was never one for sitting still and being quiet. She never liked being confined. Combine both of those with heading towards an unknown force that is trying to kill you, plus sharing a small space with people who didn't want to talk and you, netted a purely torturous situation for Anna. Her legs ached for want to move and she was dying to talk about anything. Preferably something to let her know for sure that Elsa would be okay. Anna felt trapped in ways beyond a small carriage. She was trapped in a situation where she didn't have any power. She hated it. She needed to know she could do something. She needed to talk. How many hours could she last like this? She wanted to have anything to break the grim silence. Anything at all.<p>

"Hey!" Olaf called from outside, "I'm not sure if I should tell you this, but there's a whole lot of angry-looking people coming towards us very fast."

Elsa snapped to attention. "The Army of the Wastes," she said.

"Are you sure?" Olaf said.

"They came faster than I thought," Jacob said.

"Stop the carriage!" Elsa ordered.

"Did you say 'drop the carrots'?" Olaf called back.

"Stop the carriage! Now!" Elsa opened the door with the ground still flying underneath them. She jumped out as Olaf tried to coax the horses into a stop.

"Elsa! Wait!" Anna jumped out after her and tumbled onto the ground. She picked herself up, ignoring the ringing in her ears as the carriage halted. Kristoff climbed out and Jacob jumped after him. Olaf clambered down from the driver's seat and walked up behind them. Elsa stood ahead and gazed outwards. The area was barren and open. Spiked peaks and forests rose in the horizon around them and a chilly wind whipped past. Ahead of them, the Army of the Wastes was advancing. They could see a mass of dark shapes surrounded by a cloud of dust. They heard the thunder of hooves and the clang of metal.

"My god," Elsa said. The sight and sound of armed men, muscular horses, and armored war wagons met with their eyes and ears.

"Unbelievable," Kristoff said.

"They look nice," Olaf said.

Elsa knelt down to meet the snowman's eyes. "I need you to stay here," she said.

"Five minutes before the reach us. No more," Jacob said.

"No time to spare then," Elsa said as the horde drew closer. Anna put a hand on Elsa's shoulder.

"You'll be fine," she said.

"Three hundred," Olaf said. "Two hundred and ninety-nine."

"Okay." Elsa drew a deep breath. "No sense in putting it off. Stand back everyone." Anna took a few steps backwards without taking her eyes of Elsa.

Elsa lifted one foot off the ground and paused. She glanced on last time up ant the Army of the Wastes; her face hardened and she slammed her foot into the ground. A wave of ice cascaded through the ground around her. Frozen spires sprouted from beneath her, lifting her upwards. The ice coiled around itself as Elsa was carried higher. Dark clouds exploding across the sky above them and snow began to rain down. A fierce wind whipped past Elsa, blowing her hair back.

"I didn't mean to make the storm," Elsa muttered. "Control it, control it. Control." She closed her eyes and took hold of the power that flowed inside her. She opened her eyes to see horses rearing up and men falling back. Some even scattered.

"Okay, just pull a few more tricks to scare them. But stay in control." Elsa sent a spiral of frost soaring into the sky. Flashy, but harmless.

-x-X-x-

Kristoff shielded his face from the wind and strained to make out the approaching army. "Who's that in the lead?" he shouted over the storm.

"Dagon, their brutal leader," Jacob replied.

Kristoff strained to see better. "Something's not right. What's that he's riding?"

Olaf sat on the ground. "One-hundred and thirty-five, one hundred and thirty-four-"

-x-X-x-

Elsa frowned. Her second act hadn't had as big an effect as she'd hoped. She would have to try something bigger. She sent a flash of frost flying to ahead of her. It buried itself into the ground ahead of the Army of the Wastes and sprouted into a frozen wall. Razor-sharp icicles sprouted from it. They stretched forward as if they were eager to slice into something. Elsa held back a panic. She hadn't meant to make the spikes.

"Control it," she said. She had used to powers as a weapon. Now they were screaming for more. Elsa consecrated. She and her powers were the same thing. She could control herself and she could control her powers. But not hurting people was becoming harder.

-x-X-x-

"Sixty-six, sixty- five," Olaf said.

"A sled!" Kristoff shouted.

"What?" Anna said as she fought against the wind.

"Dagon's riding a sled! Why would he be riding a sled?"

"Is that really important right now?" Jacob asked. Kristoff looked at his feet. The swirling snow had begun to pile up on the ground.

"I don't know. But it worries me."

In the past Kristoff had predicted that Anna had been in danger and psychopathic princes, so Anna didn't doubt him for a second. "We need to get Elsa down from there," she said. She cupped her hands around her mouth and called out to her sister. "Elsa! You've got to come down!"

"No!" came Elsa's shrill reply. "I can control it!"

"But this whole thing might be out of any of our-ack!" a gust or frigid wind knocked Anna back before she could finish.

"Anna!" Kristoff shouted.

Elsa looked back at the sound of Anna's cry. A crossbow bolt whizzed past her ear. She whipped around and saw Dagon was almost upon them. Behind him a line of men began to fire crossbows at them.

"Eight, seven-" Olaf counted as the Army of the Wastes drew near.

"Stop!" Elsa shouted. A wall of ice burst from the ground in front of Dagon.

Dagon didn't stop. He didn't even slow down. Ice sprouted in front of the wall and arched over it. The horses pulled Dagon's sled across the bridge and carried him to the column that Elsa stood on.

Elsa stumbled back. _Have I lost that much control over my powers?_

Dagon's sled crashed atop the pillar of ice sending frozen shards flying. Elsa tried to avoid the sled as it swerved towards her but it slammed into her full-on and flung her off the side of the ice pillar. She tumbled through the air and slammed into the ground. The snow did little to lessen the impact.

"Elsa!" Anna shouted. The Army of the Wastes came upon them. Horses ran in a circle, trapping them. Anna looked around, Kristoff and Jacob were backing together as the Army of the Wastes closed in. She glanced at her sister's limp body. Without thinking twice she dashed towards her.

"Anna! wait!" Kristoff shouted.

Anna ran as fast as she could but Dagon's men were faster. The grabbed her as she struggled uselessly against them. "Elsa!" She cried out again. But she was helpless to resist. They all were.


	5. Powerless

**A/N** Sorry for missing two of my update days. Things got in the way.

But hopefully it should be smooth sailing from here.

This chapter also includes the first instance of T-rated content and contains some physical violence.

Also I'll go ahead and get this out of the way; this story contains some elements that, while not specifically contradicted by the movie, may not gel entirely with the most logical assumptions about them.

* * *

><p>Elsa opened her eyes and saw only darkness.<p>

She shook her head, trying to gather her bearings. She was in an uncomfortable position with her arms spread apart. He weight was on her shoulders and wrists. She tried to move one arm but was unable. A cold metal gripped her wrists and ankles. Her feet were bound together and didn't even touch the ground. She tugged uselessly at her arms. She was completely pinned.

Elsa tried to make out where she was. She was in some sort of room with a door and no windows. Her limbs were chained to the wall. Apart from herself, the room was completely empty. A row of small triangular holes lined the wall opposite her and small patches of dim moonlight seeped through.

"Focus," Elsa said. "Where are you?" The floor rumbled beneath her in a steady rhythm. The light from the holes in the wall shook around.

_No, the whole room is shaking._

She heard the clatter of wheels and hooves. The holes, they were slots for crossbows. She was in some kind of war wagon.

_Where are they taking me? Why didn't they just kill me?_ Elsa grimaced. Of course they didn't kill her. She was the queen of Arendelle. And she was their prisoner. She could only pray that the Army of the Wastes had a reason to keep the others alive. She was helpless.

_What are you thinking? You're never helpless! You have your powers._ She flexed her fingers experimentally. Yes, her powers were definitely there. She could free herself. She just needed to focus.

The war wagon came to a shuddering halt. Elsa tensed. She heard a lock click and the door swung open. From behind it a tall man stepped in; he wore tarnished leather armor and his pale silver hair lined a face that had four long, thin, scars running down the side. His icy blue eyes where fixed forward. Under one arm he carried a metal box that seemed to be emitting strange noises. Elsa knew instinctively that this was Dagon, leader of the Amy of the Wastes. He strode towards Elsa.

"What have you done with Anna?" Elsa shouted at him.

"Please, ex-queen Elsa, there is no need to yell," Dagon said.

Elsa broke into a rage. "What have you done with her!?" she shrieked, tugging uselessly at her arms.

Dagon reached out and grabbed Elsa's face with a gloved hand. "I said don't shout."

Elsa wanted badly to freeze him solid.

"Besides, you don't have to worry about your sister; she's far too valuable to get rid of so soon. Now if you sit pretty like a good girl and answer my questions I will let you see her. Can you do that for me?" Dagon tapped Elsa on the nose. She wanted to bite his finger but held back.

"Fine," she said in resignation.

Dagon patted her gently on the head. "Good girl." He stood silently several moments before finally pulling off one of his gloves.

"Were you impressed back there?" he asked. "I pulled off quite a feat didn't I?"

Elsa didn't respond. Her eyes were fixed on the glove. Dagon flashed the palm of his hand at her casting a thin layer of frost over her cheek.

"Does it make sense now? Why I tried to invade Arendelle? How I defeated your emissary's men? How I defeated you? I have the same powers as you."

"What do you want with me?" Elsa said.

"What do I want?" Dagon pretended to ponder this. "Well, I suppose when I said that I have the same powers as you I failed mention how underdeveloped they must seem compared to yours. What with the way you froze your whole kingdom and all. Most impressive how you were able to do that."

"Get to the point!" Elsa said.

Dagon took a step back. "The point is that we both have an incredible gift. However you have mastered yours much faster than I have. Take this for example." Dagon held up the box and opened it.

"Hi," said Olaf's head. "I'm just a head."

"Olaf?" Elsa yearned to be able to reach her hand out to the snowman. "What did they do to you?"

"I don't really know. But I can't feel my legs," Olaf said.

"Don't worry Olaf, I'll fix you a soon as-"

Dagon slammed the box shut. "As soon as nothing. Don't even start talking about escape." Dagon cast the box onto the ground. Elsa flinched as it struck the floor. "The fact that you were able to animate a snowman is incredible. I see now that I have only scraped the surface of what I can do. I want you to tell me what you secret is."

"There _is_ no secret," Elsa said. "The power comes from your heart."

Dagon's face darkened. "I thought that you might say something like that. I don't believe you."

Elsa tried to think. If Dagon was like her then she could reason with him.

Dagon snapped his fingers and icicles sprouted from the wall behind Elsa. They ripped through the back of her dress and threatened to tear her skin.

"Talk," Dagon said.

Elsa strained against the ice. "You. Can't. Make. Me."

"Always resistance," Dagon said. "I thought you might need some extra persuasion." Dagon knocked on the wall. "Bring her in," he said.

The door swung open and a tall, hunched, thin man with dark ropy hair came in dragging Anna.

"Elsa!" Anna cried.

"Anna!" Elsa returned.

"Very good Snake. You may drop her somewhere and then leave."

The man, Snake, grunted and dropped Anna face-first on the floor before leaving. Anna tried to get up but Dagon held her down with a foot.

"Don't hurt her!" Elsa cried.

Dagon gave an annoyed grunt. "Are you really that obtuse?" he said.

Anna struggled against his weight. "Hey! Don't call my sister obtuse!"

"Shut up." Dagon waved his hand and froze her mouth closed. "I'm sure you realize by now that I _am_ going to hurt her, unless you start to tell me the truth about your powers.

"No!" Elsa fought back tears. "I don't know! Please just let her go!"

"If you want to have it that way," Dagon said. He rolled Anna onto her back and fire a shot of ice into her chest. Frost spiraled across Anna and her body shook. Dagon removed her foot from her.

"There. That is to show you how serious I am. Her heart is frozen and now you can watch her slowly freeze solid."

"Anna!" Elsa said through tears.

The ice on Anna slowly melted away and she slowly pulled herself up.

"Impossible!" Dagon said. "Nothing can thaw a frozen heart."

Anna grabbed Elsa, hugging her the best she could.

"My heart can't be frozen," Anna said. "As long as-"

"Anna stop!" Elsa said. "Don't tell him anything!"

Dagon tore Anna away from her sister. "This is proof that you lied." He twisted Anna's arm behind her back.

"Let go of me you big-"

Dagon silenced her with a twist of her arm. "You were able to thaw her heart. Tell me how your powers were able to that."

"What?" Elsa said, "No I-"

"Tell me or I'll break her arm!" Dagon gave Anna's arm another twist, forcing a yelp of pain through her lips.

"Then tell me how you mastered the rest of your powers." Dagon gave another twist to Anna's arm. She let out a gasp of pain.

Elsa needed to tell him something. Anything he'd believe. "Trolls," she blurted out.

"Trolls?" Dagon loosened his grip on Anna slightly.

"Yes, when I was young a troll told me about my powers," Elsa said. Dagon looked like he was accepting this. Elsa couldn't let Anna get hurt. She would do anything.

"I want you to think very carefully. Then I want you to tell me about these trolls," Dagon said.

-x-X-x-

Kristoff rubbed his head._ Where am I? _he thought.

A cell, some kind of cell. The floor rumbled beneath him. Someone was sitting in the corner. Jacob.

"Where are we?" Kristoff asked, "and where's Anna? and Elsa?"

"We're prisoners," Jacob said. "I don't know what they did to the others."

"Prisoners...?" Kristoff repeated. He looked around at plain floor and walls. Was there anything he could do?

_I'm really starting to miss Sven._


	6. Plans

The door opened and Anna was tossed unceremoniously into the prison-like wagon.

"I'm really not liking this mode of transportation," she said.

Kristoff dropped to her side. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Anna said. "But Elsa's in a bad spot."

Kristoff ran a hand across Anna to make sure she wasn't hurt. "What happened?" he said.

"It turns out this Dagon guy has powers too. Just like Elsa's. He's convinced that Elsa's got some sort of secret way of mastering her powers."

"And she doesn't right?"

"Right," Anna said. "But this loony isn't taking that for an answer. He threatened to kill me if she didn't tell him-"

"God, are you okay!?" Kristoff grabbed her and gave her another look-over.

Anna pushed him away. "Didn't we clear this up already? I'm fine." Given the way Kristoff was acting Anna figured it would be a bad idea to mention her heart had been briefly frozen again.

Kristoff took a breath. "Okay, so what ended up happening?"

"Elsa told him about the trolls. He seemed to like that answer so she said they had told her how to use her powers. Not entirely untrue but she mostly-"

"She told him about the trolls?" Kristoff interrupted. "What if he tries to hurt them?"

"She's just stalling for time okay? If Dagon thinks we're useless he might kill us!"

Kristoff stared at the floor.

"We've got to find some way to escape," he said, lifting his gaze.

"Escape?"

"Yes, we have too." Kristoff stood up and began walking along the sides of the wagon. He peered out of one of the triangular slots but was unable to see anything but the side of another wagon.

"No point to that," Jacob said, speaking for the first time. He sat in the corner with one knee pulled up. "I've already searched for a week point."

"If they're going to try to get to Elsa by torturing Anna then we have no choice. We've _got_ to find a way out!" Becoming frustrated Kristoff kicked the wall. There was a thump from the other side.

"Shaddup!" came a voice from outside the wagon.

Anna put a hand on Kristoff's arm. "It's okay. You don't have to worry about me."

Kristoff clenched a fist. "If they try to hurt you then I swear-"

Anna squeezed his sleeve and his voice trailed off. After a moment Anna let go and put her ear to the wall. "All the same we have to figure a way out of here."

-x-X-x-

Dagon set the metal box on his table and did his best to ignore the sound it emitted. There were no slots running along the side of this wagon. Nothing to threaten his privacy. This wagon was the best sanctuary he could have while living with a group of lowlifes. Taking over the group had been as easy as making them afraid. No one would stand up to a storm and no one would stand up to Dagon. A single flash of ice and they feared for their lives. Because no one can fight a storm. Snake had been the only member of the miserable group who showed any backbone. But none of their filth was allowed here.

Dagon had given himself some extra accommodations. Against one wall he had a prober bed. The ornate chest sat in the corner. And beside the table was a bookcase. Dagon had collected all of the information he could find on magic and mystical powers. He had taught himself to read and stole books so as that he might find answers. But he had found nothing, nothing, that could tell him how to master his powers.

Then the rumors came. The queen of Arendelle had powers. The rumors turned into fact and word of the eternal winter that had almost doomed Arendelle reached Dagon. Dagon had discovered there was another. Another who had complete mastery of her powers; so Dagon acted. He found the Army of the Wastes and made them his own.

Dagon pulled a book of from his shelf. He had caught her. The Ice Queen herself.

"Trolls? Is it possible?" Dagon threw the book down and pulled another from the shelf. Had what the Ice Queen, this Elsa, said been truthful? A desperate bluff?

Dagon paged through the book until he found a section that spoke of trolls.

"Magical, reclusive, wise... This fits with her explanation." Dagon closed the book. The question still remained of whether Elsa had been truthful. But the answer would be easy to find out.

"'Valley of the living rock' she said." Dagon crossed the room and placed a hand on the chest. The chest held that which was most important. His face hardened. "One way or another I will find out how to grow my power." He gazed down at the chest. "I spent my life working towards this. And I will get it."

-x-X-x-

Kristoff lay on his back on the hard floor of the wagon. His mind was whizzing with useless escape plans, worry, and fear. Sleep seemed impossible. Sometime he'd look over at Anna and envy her for being able to sleep. Other times when he'd briefly dozed off he awoke to see Anna staring at him. Jacob was still in the same position and Kristoff couldn't even tell if he was awake.

Kristoff turned to look at Anna. Her back was to him and he was unsure if she was asleep. His fist clenched as he gazed at her. It killed him to think what she might have to endure. He could only imagine what was happening to Elsa and had no idea where Olaf was. He wanted plant his fist into Dagon's face. But right now he felt was useless. He needed a plan.

Not for the first time his thought drifted to Sven. Was he cold? Hungry? Did he have any idea what was happening? Sometime he and Sven seemed so close that they shared each other's thoughts. But now he felt further apart from his friend than they had ever been before.

_Jingle_

Kristoff sat up. had he just heard a-

_Jingle_

Was it possible? Sven's bells? Had he followed them all this way? There was another jingle followed by a click and the door swung open. A burly man with a bald head walked it. He held a key ring in one hand.

"Rise and shine," the burly man grunted.

"What?" Anna sat up and shielded her eyes from the sudden light. The man grabbed her and hauled her to her feet.

Kristoff leapt up. "Let go of her!" he shouted.

"Down, dog," the man batted Kristoff to the ground. Kristoff jumped back to his feet and made for the man.

"It's fine Kristoff. You'll only get yourself hurt," Anna said.

The burly man laughed. "That's right! listen to the little mouse!" He gave Kristoff a kick the flung him into the wall and dragged Anna out, slamming the door behind. Kristoff leapt up and dove at the door. The locked clicked and Kristoff grabbed the handle, tugging uselessly.

Kristoff banged a fist against the door. "Bring her back!" he shouted.

There was a thump from the other side. "Shaddup!" came a voice.

Kristoff slammed himself into the door. "Let! Me! Out!"

A lot on the door slid open and a boney face peered in. "I said shaddup! If you don't I'll tan your hide!"

Kristoff fell to his knees and punched the floor.

"That's better." The boney man slammed the slot on the door shut.

"You'll only hurt yourself," Jacob said.

Kristoff pounded his fist into the floor again. "I don't care! Anna is out there and I have no idea what she's going through! And there's nothing I can do!" Kristoff stood up and rounded on Jacob. "Can't you even _pretend_ to care about someone!?"

Jacob shook his head. "Look kid-"

"Don't call me kid," Kristoff spat.

"You're a kid until I say otherwise," Jacob snapped. "Just because I use my head doesn't mean that I don't feel! I fight. That's what I do with my life. But I still have feelings. I have a wife and two children who I couldn't even tell where I was going. Throwing a tantrum won't help Anna, Elsa, or anyone else."

Kristoff rested his face in his hands. "Sitting there doing nothing doesn't help either."

"It helps more than you think."

Kristoff wiped his eye. "Well I'm going to do something! Actually do something!"

"There is nothing we _can_ do," Jacob said.

"There is. We can escape."

"Don't bother. It's pointless."

"There has to be some way." Kristoff started to pace. He tried to think but his thoughts kept being yanked to an image of Anna; her face pained with tears streaming down her cheeks. He tried to shake the image away but it kept forcing its way into his mind. He began to pace faster as though he could outrun his own thoughts.

"Stop wasting your energy. You can't fight Dagon," Jacob said.

Kristoff knew Jacob was right. He couldn't fight Dagon. He couldn't even get past the stupid guard. He stopped mid stride.

"I have an idea!" he said.


	7. Pain

**A/N **Remember Snake? The guy who dragged Anna in when Dagon was interrogating Elsa? Just wondering.

This story is rated T for a few reasons. This chapter is one of them. On that note beware of drifting viewpoint.

* * *

><p>Elsa's head hung; her bindings made it almost impossible to sleep. Her body ached for rest that she could not give it. The faint light that shone through the slots in the wall was the only thing that could give her any idea how much time had passed. She could escape if she needed too. Why hadn't she? Just freeze the locks and be done with it. She flexed her fingers. Her powers played around in her hand, eager to jump out. But she wasn't sure if she could use them as carefully as she'd need too. More importantly attempting escape might put Anna in danger. Right now protecting Anna was the most important thing. She could endure the bindings forever and a day if she had to. She would have to wait.<p>

There was a click and the door swung open. A blinding glare was cast into the cell. Elsa yearned for a free hand to shield her eyes.

When her eyes adjusted she saw Snake dragging Anna in. He gripped Anna's arm tightly in one hand and held a mace in the other. Anna's hands were tied behind her back and her mouth was gagged.

"Time to wake up your _majesty_." Snake spat his words with a grimace.

"What are you going to do to her?" Elsa said. "I already told you everything I know."

Snake shrugged. "It seems that the boss monkey doesn't think you have." He swung the mace at Elsa head. She flinched back as the mace buried itself into the wall. Snake let go of the mace, leaving it hanging from the wall, and leaned in much closer to Elsa's face then she wanted.

"Here's how it works," Snake said. "I'm going to hurt your sister. Nothing you do or say can stop me. But unless you want her to hurt a lot _more_ you'll do things like I tell you."

"You can't," Elsa begged.

Snake pulled back. "Too late. I've already done it as far as I'm concerned," he said. He dropped Anna and kicked her into the wall. A muffled _oof_ made its way around Anna' gag. Snake kicked her again, digging his boot into her stomach. Anna tried uselessly to struggle against her binds as Snake's foot slammed into her again and again. Elsa cried out with each blow as if she was the one being attacked. Snake didn't let up until Anna, battered and bruised, was curled up on the ground, whimpering around her gag.

When Snake turned back to face Elsa her head dangled limply and tears ran down her cheeks. Snake grabbed Elsa's chin and forced her head up.

"Now that you understand me better I'm going to ask you this, just once. Will you come with me quietly? Whimper once for yes or twice for no."

Elsa let off one slow whimper that cast a grin across Snake's face. He pulled out a key and unlocked her shackles. Once free Elsa fell onto the floor on her hands and knees.

Snake kicked her head. "Get up," he snarled.

Elsa wordlessly rose to her feet. He gaze met Snake's unwavering despite her eyes being rimmed with tears. Snake turned around. "Follow me," he said.

Elsa followed him out casting one last glance towards Anna as she did. Anna struggled and failed to stand up. Elsa had the deep desire to freeze Snake but she let him lead her through a field of grass. Around them the wagons where stationary and the horses pawed at the ground. Elsa recognized some of Arendelle's horses amongst them. As she walked the grass she stepped on frosted over.

"Stop here," Snake said.

Elsa stopped.

"Drop to the ground and wait for Dagon to come."

Elsa let her knees buckle beneath her and she fell onto the ground. They waited unmoving in a chilly breeze. Elsa had never been bothered by the cold but now she could feel the wind slicing through her with icy resolve. She stared at the ground until she heard the crunch of boots coming towards her. She lifted her head and saw Dagon walk up to Snake. Dagon stood motionless with his gaze fixed down on Snake.

Dagon punched him in the stomach. Snake doubled over clutching his chest and wheezing for breath.

"I told you not to scratch the merchandise," Dagon said. "If Anna sustains any permanent damage she isn't useful. Then you lose your arms." Dagon leaned in close to Snake's face. "Do I make myself clear?"

Snake only nodded.

"Good, then you may leave." Dagon watched as Snake quickly staggered away. Once he was gone Dagon turned back to Elsa and nudged her with his foot.

"Get up," he said.

Elsa rose slowly to her feat. "What do you want?" she said, eye lowered.

Dagon held up the box that held Olaf's head. He flipped the latch and opened the box to reveal the snowman.

"Hi again," Olaf said. "This is a much nicer place than last time."

"Olaf..." Elsa reached out a hand to touch his face.

"Gee Elsa, you don't look too good. And that's coming from someone who's just a head."

"Show me your power," Dagon said. "Fix him."

Elsa looked at her hand. Her powers were screaming to freeze this man alive. To end all of it right here. But she couldn't risk putting her friends in danger. To attack Dagon would undoubtedly cause his men to hurt them. She closed her eyes and let out just a flurry of her power. It swirled around Olaf's head and lifted it out of the box. Snow gathered around him to form a new body, stray rocks and a pair of sticks flew from the ground and attached themselves onto him. Once he was restored she lowered him to the ground and finished by making a flurry appear over his head.

Olaf looked down at himself. "I'm whole again!" he chirped. He hugged Elsa's legs; one arm slightly longer than the other. "I knew you could do it!"

Elsa knelt down and wrapped an arm around him. She looked up at Dagon. "Now what?"

"I'll give you thirty seconds to yourself with it. You can say whatever you want in that time." Dagon turned and took a few paces away. Elsa's powers where incredible. But he was in control as long as he had her friends. He walked to a pair men who were waiting with the pair of shackles. _Elsa's friends..._ Dagon thought. _A weakness, a strength_. Dagon banished the useless thought.

Elsa gently pushed Olaf away from herself.

"Run," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "Go home."

Olaf looked unsure. "You mean, leave you behind?"

"Yes. Go ahead, I'll be fine."

"I'll get help."

"Please, just go."

Elsa watched as Olaf broke away from her and started to walk away. He looked back once, then dashed off.

"You amaze me really," Dagon said from behind her.

Elsa stood up and turned to face her captor. He held a pair shackles in his hand. The same kind Hans had used to imprison her not so long ago.

"It is clear that your powers surpass my own. One way or another I will learn your secrets. It would be easiest for us both if you just told me now."

"I have nothing to tell you," Elsa said.

"Then hold out your hands," Dagon said. Elsa did so and Dagon locked the shackles onto them.

"I give you the freedom of movement," Dagon said. "If you ever decide to tell me everything then I may let you go."

"And until then?"

"Back into the cell."

-x-X-x-

"Anna! Anna!"

She heard a distant voice calling her name.


	8. Desperate Move

**A/N** Wow, this part happens a lot earlier in the story than I remember.

* * *

><p>Anna became aware of pain.<p>

"Anna!"

She could hear someone calling her. She coughed.

"Anna! Are you alright?"

She tried to force her eyes open.

"Kristoff?" She managed to push words through her lips.

"Yes, it's me."

The voice seemed clearer now.

"D-darn it. They went too far this time. Anna, please, can you hear me?"

She shook her head. Two images of Kristoff overlapped together and her eyes came into focus. "I'm fine. Never better."

A bolt of pain shot through as she was enveloped by a pressure that seemed to want to crush her.

"too tight," she gasped. "You're holding me too tight."

"Sorry!" Kristoff let go of her and she slumped into a slouching position.

"What on earth did they do to you?" Kristoff ran a hand down her side. Her face was bruised and even sitting down she was shaky.

Anna shot up; her head crashed into Kristoff and sent him sprawling.

"Elsa!" she said, then, "sorry!" She helped Kristoff up.

"This has to stop," he said.

"It was an accident!" Anna brushed off his sleeve.

"No! I mean this-_this-_I don't even know what to call it. I'm not going to let it happen again." Kristoff pushed her into a horizontal position. "First of all you need to rest. You've been through way too much."

"You can stop worrying about me," Anna said though she made no move to get up. A deep fatigue began to catch up with her.

"I can't. Now rest; I have a plan."

Anna tried to get up. "What do you mean?"

Kristoff pushed her back down. "It means if you're rested by tomorrow we can escape."

-x-X-x-

It was almost impossible to tell time inside the wagon but when Anna was finally able to convince Kristoff she was rested he told her his plan. Anna listened while forcing herself to eat a piece of dry bread that Kristoff said he had saved from a supposed meal the boney guard had given them. Jacob sat in the corner quietly taking an occasional bite of his own piece. Anna's stomach still ached from her injuries and she wasn't sure she'd be able to hold anything down. Of course she wouldn't tell Kristoff that; he was worried enough as it was.

"Now this last part is important; are you feeling up to this? You'll have to run for what will probably be a long time over rough terrain; are you sure you can do it?" Kristoff concluded.

"I'm fine," Anna said. "Besides, all that applies to you too."

Kristoff felt a pain of guilt but pushed it away. "Two things; one, you're still hurt; second..." he trailed off.

"And second..." Anna prompted.

"Second isn't important right now." Kristoff looked over at Jacob. "Are you sure you aren't coming?" he asked before Anna could question him further.

"I'm too old to do anything like this," Jacob replied.

"I thought you were a trained soldier," Anna said.

"I was. Now I'm just an officer. I'll be fine here."

"How can you be sure?" Anna pressed. "If we escape Dagon may take it out on you."

Jacob glanced at Kristoff. "If I can read actions I will be fine. And as an emissary, reading actions is my job. "

Kristoff looked at Anna. "Right now the important thing is getting you out of here and getting help."

"Stop saying that! We _all_ need to get out of here!"

"It's Jacob's choice. He'll be fine." Kristoff put a hand on Anna's arm. "We'll come back with help."

Anna chewed her lip for a moment. "Fine. We'll escape, then come back with help, and everything will be alright."

"Exactly," Kristoff said keeping the waver out of his voice. "Are you ready?"

Anna drew a breath and pushed aside her residual pain. "I'm ready."

"Okay," Kristoff said. Anna curled up in the corner and Kristoff slammed himself into the wall.

"How long are you scum going to keep us in here!?" he shouted.

There was a thump from the other side.

"Shaddup!" came the voice of the boney man.

Kristoff slammed into the wall again. "Next time baldo comes in here I'll kick his sorry-"

Another thump came. "_I said shaddup!_"

Kristoff kicked the door. "It's not so thick; I could break it down!" he said as loudly as he could.

The slot in the door slid open and the boney man peered in. "For the last time, _SHADDUP!_"

Kristoff double checked on Anna who was crouched in the corner.

"And once I do there will be nothing between you and me!" Kristoff yelled with a final bang against the door. He heard the boney man curse and the jingle of keys. The door swung open and the boney man stepped in.

"You're dead now kid!" The boney man pulled knife from a sheath on his belt.

Kristoff fell backwards causing the boney man to laugh. "Not so tough now are ya?" The man paused. "Where's the mouse gone to?" he said with a confused expression on his face.

"Behind the door," Kristoff said.

"What-?" As the boney man turned Anna slammed herself into the door, sending it smashing into his face and knocking him out cold. A look of dawning realization was left frozen on his face.

Kristoff got up. "I think you broke his nose."

"Not about to lose any sleep over it." Anna gestured to the now-open door. "And now, we were escaping..."

"Of course," Kristoff said. They stepped to the door and peered out. Around them horses ran and wagons' wheels rumbled across the ground.

Kristoff looked up at Anna. "You ready for this?"

"Still as ready as the last time you asked."

They jumped out onto the ground below. Kristoff stumbled as he hit the ground and both he and Anna ran as the righted themselves. Even slowing down would have left them crushed under the wagons. Kristoff glanced back to see Jacob standing in the door watching them. Already he could here men shouting.

"We split up," Kristoff said. "Don't look back no matter what. We need at least one of us to make it."

"This isn't the time to argue is it?" Anna said.

"No, it isn't."

Anna reached out a hand and Kristoff placed his in it. Their fingers brushed together briefly and they bolted in separate directions. Kristoff didn't look back.

"Perfect so far," he said. He hadn't told Anna the next part of his plan, and for a good reason.

"It only takes one person to get help," he said to himself.

Somewhere a horn blew and men began to poor out of the wagons. They shouted to one another and grabbed weapons from racks that hung from the side of a wagon. Without slowing down Kristoff bent over and snatched a stone off of the ground. He threw it at the men as hard as he could.

"That felt good," Kristoff said as he heard the sound stones make when they hit a skull. Some of the men released horses from their reins and climbed on them, charging towards Kristoff.

"That's right. Come after me," Kristoff muttered.

-x-X-x-

Anna weaved through the wagons; she nimbly avoiding crushing hooves, wheels, and large men with sharp objects. As she emerged from the edge of the war-like caravan she head a large commotion coming from deeper inside. A quick glance backwards nearly killed her as she stumbled up to the edge of a cliff. Letting out a quick _yikes_ she spun her arms to regain her balance.

_Perfect_, she thought. _We escaped while crossing through a bottleneck_. She stood at the edge of bluff that ran as far as she could see. It dropped off in front of her into a churning sea.

A loud yell from inside the caravan made Anna turn around. Had Kristoff been caught? Every muscle in her body screamed to run back and look for him.

"I can't leave him behind," she said.

"hey!" a voice shouted. Men started to turn her way.

"Uh-oh. They spotted me." Anna took a step back and stumbled as her foot passed over empty air. She lost her balance and tumbled off the edge of the cliff.

-x-X-x-

Snake jumped down from the wagon and locked the door. He had heard that the prisoners had broken out and, as soon as the caravan came to a halt, had gone to check on the prisoners' wagon. Jacob had still been in it and hadn't made a move to leave at all.

Snake had heard some shouts a little earlier that signified that one of them had been caught. He hoped he hadn't missed his chance to inflict some pain. If he didn't get a chance to hit someone he knew it would ruin his good mood. As he walked he saw Dagon pinning the prisoner against a wagon.

_With any luck I'll get the scraps once Dagon is done._

-x-X-x-

Dagon pinned Kristoff against the side of a wagon.

"Where is Anna?" Dagon snarled.

"Anna is gone. I told her to run away," Kristoff said.

"Don't try and be funny. There was nowhere for her to go. Are you saying she jumped off a cliff?" Dagon pulled Kristoff away from the wagon just far enough to slam him back into it.

"A cliff?" Kristoff said. "We're on a cliff?"

Dagon hit him across the face. "Don't play stupid boy."

"Why is everyone calling me a boy?" Kristoff said.

Dagon hit Kristoff again. "I want you to take a deep breath and think about your answer to this," he slammed Kristoff into the wall with each word as he continued.

"Where. Is. Anna?"

Kristoff grunted from pain but kept his composure. "She's gone. You can't catch her."

Dagon grabbed Kristoff's face. "If she isn't here then she's _dead!_ Do you understand that? _Dead!_" Dagon cast Kristoff onto the ground.

Kristoff tried to pick himself up. "She isn't dead!"

Dagon ignored him and turned around to see Snake standing behind him. "Look for her!" Dagon said. "I need her _alive_."

"If she's dead there's not much I can do about that," Snake said.

Dagon began to pace. "What about the other prisoners?"

"The old man never made a break for it. The soldiers were kept secure over the whole thing."

Dagon quickened his strides. "I have no doubt that Elsa would want to protect any of them. All the same Anna made everything so easy." Dagon stopped and looked down at Kristoff. "Put him back in the cell and turn us around. We'll go around Arendelle and head towards the northern mountains.

"With all due respect," Snake said, "with their queen our prisoner we could easily conquer Arendelle."

"There is a kind of power that is more important to me than ruling a single kingdom," Dagon said. "I will no longer discuss the matter with you. Carry out my orders and do not make me repeat myself." Dagon turned heel and marched away.

Snake grabbed Kristoff's collar and grinned. "Luckily for me he didn't say you have to stay intact."

Kristoff knew what was coming from the moment he and Anna had escaped. But with each blow a cold dread sank into him. Was Anna even alive?


	9. Together Again

Anna fell down the cliff. She tumbled down its slanted side, crashing through bushes and other growth that clung to the rocky slope. She came to a stop when, about halfway down, she landed face first into a mud puddle. She lay there for a moment before pushing herself up. She clutched at her side where one of her bruises was starting to hurt. With her other hand she wiped of her face. She flicked her hand, trying to get the brown muck off.  
>"This is just great. I have no idea where Kristoff is, my dress is ruined, and I don't even want to know what my hair looks like." She tried to stand up but her feet slipped and she began to skip through the slick mud. She careened down the side of the bluff and landing with a splash into a large body of water at the bottom. She floundered against the wave until her hands found something solid. Grabbing onto it she lifted her head above the surface and coughed saltwater.<p>

"At least the mud's gone," she muttered.

Trying to gather her bearings she looked around. She was clinging to a piece of driftwood at the base of a bluff.

"Where am I?" she wondered aloud. There was the bluff, water, water, more water, some sort of city across from her, yet more water. Anna's gaze snapped back to the town. She squinted; yes there was definitely some sort of civilization. Just across from her! She could just drift straight over there! Sweet civilization!"

Anna looked down at the driftwood. "Are you going to sit there all day or what?"

-x-X-x-

Sven missed Kristoff. Nothing seemed to have gone right since he'd left. Sven was exhausted. His hooves hurt, and he really, deeply, truly, needed a carrot.

-x-X-x-

Anna clung to the driftwood and paddled with her free hand. The waves crashed into her repeatedly, thoroughly soaking her. She fought against the currents and made her way, painstakingly slowly, across to an inlet. As she drew close her eyes were greeted by not just the sight of civilization, but of an entire castle! Just sitting there waiting for her!

"I'm not really presentable right now, but the fastest way to get anything done is to start from the top," Anna said to herself. She paddled harder as she drew nearer. She began to grow more confident. She was almost upon the shore.

"First I'm going to get some nice, warm, dry, clean, clothes. Then I'm going to need to eat something before I pass out from hunger." Her feet met with the ground and she began to wade through the shallows. The inlet itself came into what seemed to be some sort of courtyard. Well-trimmed bushes lined the area and the castle surrounded her on three sides. Anna continued her thoughts as she pulled herself ashore.

"Then I'm going to get Elsa and Kristoff back, and then-" She stopped when she saw a handsomely dressed young man standing in the courtyard. He leaned forward against a railing and had his back to her.

"This is perfect!" Anna said. She wrung out her hair and straitened her clothes the best that she could. She still looked like a mess but hopefully she could still make a good impression. The trick would be to look sympathetic and regal at the same time. _Don't forget cute_, she thought. Cute came naturally to her.

She approached the man from behind and executed a perfect shy dip of the head. She waited for a moment before realizing he hadn't noticed her.

"Um, hi?" she looked at her feet and brushed off her dress.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the man said turning around. "I didn't know anyone was there-" he stopped suddenly.

Anna wrung her hands together. She was confident that she could provoke sympathy from anyone.

"It's alright, I- " Anna looked up but froze mid-sentence as her gaze met that of Prince Hans's.

-x-X-x-

Dagon stood over that which was most important. It was locked inside of a chest but he could still feel it. Whenever he felt unsure he found himself staring at the chest.

"If she is dead then I have killed her," Dagon said. "She was not the enemy. Her death was pointless. What should I feel about this? Would you have wanted this?"

He drummed his fingers.

"One must always put first that which is most important, but she was innocent."

Dagon gazed at the chest. Whenever he was with it he could always gather his bearings.

"I must always prioritize. If she is dead it is just a casualty."

-x-X-x-

Anna picked herself up from the ground, face stinging. "That is absolutely no way to treat royalty!" she said.

"Now we're even!" Hans said shaking his fist.

Anna was indignant. "Even? we'd only be even if I tried to kill you _and_ one of your ample brothers to boot!" She kicked dust at him.

"At least I didn't freeze _my_ whole kingdom!"

Anna clenched her fist. "Don't you _dare_ say anything like that about Elsa or I _swear_ I'll-"

"Nu-uh." Hans waggled a finger as if he was scolding a young child. "You will do nothing. You forget that you are in _my_ country now; you play by _my_ rules."

Anna crossed her arms. "We play by your _twelve_ older brothers' rules." She started to walk towards the castle. "Let's say what they think of you punching a royal on a mercy mission."

"Mercy mission? what are you talking about?"

"I'm not talking to you anymore. Bye-bye." Anna waved at him.

"Wait!" Hans grabbed her arm. "I don't need my brothers' permission to throw you back into the ocean, or even just lock you up in some dark corner of the dungeons where everyone will forget about you."

Anna pushed his hand away from her. "You wouldn't dare."

-x-X-x-

Hans dragged Anna across the stone floor, snatching a key ring off the wall as he did.

"Stop shouting. No one can here you," he said.

Anna dealt a sharp blow to his shins with her foot.

"Hey!" Hans shouted letting go of her.

"Couldn't we figure something out that's mutually beneficial?" Anna said. She was starting to hurt again and wasn't sure she could outrun him.

"Hardly. There's nothing I'd like more than to see you in a cell." Hans grabbed her again. Fighting her fists and kicks he started to drag her down the hall.

"Oh, are your big bwothers still sore with you?" Anna said with mock sympathy.

"You will be silent!" Hans fought to pull her down the hall. When he reached the end he pulled open a barred door and threw her in. She landed against the stone floor and he slammed the door shut.

Anna pushed herself up. "It's not nice to throw people!"

Hans laughed. "Isn't that typical? Trapped behind bars and you still don't learn to keep your mouth shut."

"Oh that's funny. It really is." Anna put her hands on her hips. "But if you don't promise to help me save my sister right now you'll regret it."

Hans smiled. "And why would I? _Princess_ Anna?"

Anna held up the ring of keys.

Hans gaped and looked down at his belt. He reached through the bars and tried to grab her. "Give those back!"

Anna tapped her chin. "You know, I think I'll just go up and ask what the law says about assault and illegally imprisoning royalty."

"You still don't have any power here," Hans said. "I am outside the cell and you are in it."

Anna knew she was at the disadvantage. She would have to try something else.

"I am stronger than you are. I can get those keys from you if I have to," Hans continued.

Anna sank to her knees and looked up at him. "Please? I'm desperate," she said making her eyes as wide as possible.

"I don't care," Hans replied.

"Will you really have the death of a whole kingdom on your hands?" Anna pleaded.

"I can live with that."

"If you promise to help me I won't tell your brothers anything! I'll even throw in something extra!"

Hans considered this, regarding her suspiciously. "And what exactly would that be?" he prompted.

Anna hesitated. "Well, I know you made some bad choices. But deep down know you're a good person," she forced herself not to gag. It wasn't easy. "And if you'll help me, I know someone, another princess, who's-never mind. It's stupid." She turned her head away.

"I'll be the judge of that," Hans said.

"Well... there's this princess I know. She's heir to the throne but the law says she has to marry before she can inherit it. I could introduce you two."

Hans smoothed his hair back. "Are you playing me?" he said.

"No! I swear I'm telling the truth! On my honor as princess!"

"Honor?" Hans scoffed. He pointed a finger at Anna. "If this is any sort of trick..."

"It's not! I promise!"

"I'm not as easy to buy as you think I am," Hans said. He mulled it over for a moment. "Fine. Deal. But first you have to give me the keys."

Hans reached his hand into the cell but Anna pulled the keys away and shook her head.

"How can I trust you?" she said.

"Look, we don't have to like each other, I hate you, but if you want either of us to uphold our part of the deal we have to trust each other. Give me the keys and then tonight I'll get some supplies and sneak you out when everyone is asleep."

Anna hesitated for a moment and then handed him the keys. Hans grabbed them and pulled his hand out.

"I'll be back after dark. Until then, enjoy your stay." Hans locked the door and walked away.

Anna slumped down on the floor remembering how she truly loathed shut doors.


	10. Judgment

**A/****N** This chapter has been updated from the original publication. I realized I had forgotten to rearrange a sentence in the first segment.

**A/N** Wow a two-chapter fast from Elsa. I hope none of you went into withdraw. I hadn't noticed she was absent for so long. In fact the story almost went three chapters without her until I caught it and did some tweaking.

Completely arbitrarily I'd like to say that I am aware that earplugs weren't invented until the 20th century...

* * *

><p>The lock clanked and the door swung open. Anna lifted her head from the ground.<p>

"Time to get up," Hans said.

Anna wasn't sure whether to be grateful or skeptical. Angry made it on the list too. The cell had been extraordinarily uncomfortable.

"You kept your promise," she said.

"When have I ever broken my promises?"

Anna got up and walked past Hans. "I don't know. Maybe the one about 'I would never shut you out'."

Hans walked after her with a bag slung over his shoulder. "One, that wasn't an official promise. Two, I never technically shut you out. I just locked you _in_."

"My apologies." Anna gave a dramatic bow. "I never realized how caring you truly were."

Hans pushed past her. "Can you not keep quiet even when you are escaping from a cell?"

Anna's immediate reaction was to talk louder but, as much as she hated to admit it, Hans was right.

They walked down the hallway until Hans stopped at a wooden door and opened it. Beyond was a staircase leading upward. "This way," he said.

He began to climb the stairs and Anna started after him. The squeezed past each other repeatedly, trying to walk in front of the other. Anna pushed past Hans to emerge from the castle and into the courtyard. Hans stepped out behind her and brushed ahead. The air was still and the only sound was that of the water lapping and crickets chirping. Just ahead of them, sitting in the water, was a rowboat tied to a post.

Anna stopped. "That's a rowboat."

Hans flung his bag inside of it. "Of course it's a rowboat. How did you think we'd get across the bay? By swimming?"

Anna crossed her arms. "Where are the others?"

Hans knelt down to untie the boat from the post. "What others?"

"I asked for help to save my sister. Not a stuck-up prince with an inferiority complex," Anna said.

Hans stood up. "In case you haven't noticed I'd like to keep this whole thing under wraps. And second I'm doing you a favor as it is. So either get your royal butt in there or you can just stay in that cell."

Anna stood still for a moment before walking to the rowboat and climbing in. She sat down and crossed her arms. "Okay then. Fine. If Elsa, Kristoff, and both of us are going to die then why not die with my butt in a rowboat? At least this way when we all _do_ die I can have your charming self and your bag of marvels that will magically save us at the last moment. And I am not rowing."

Hans pushed the boat from shore and jumped in. "Thanks for reminding me how I really, _really_ hate you." He picked up the oars and started to row across the bay. The moon was shining brilliantly overhead and the sound or crickets chirping mixed melodically with the waves. The oars made a soft splash with each even stroke.

"If this is some ridiculous attempt at getting another shot at me I'm going to jump overboard and take my chances," Anna said.

"Don't make me vomit. I wouldn't marry you if you were the last princess on the planet. Unless you came with complementary set of earplugs," Hans said.

"Now if only we could have established this relationship a lot sooner. We could have save both of us a whole lot of trouble."

"Please stop talking," Hans said.

"You can't tell me what to do. I can sit here and talk all I want."

"I don't have to help you, you know. I could just drop you off and turn back."

"Great! That sounds fantastic!" Anna said as they reached the other side.

Hans jumped out the side of the boat and into the shallows and pushed the boat to shore.

"Last chance, do you want me or not?" he said.

Anna leapt out of the boat and helped pull it onto land. "No I don't want you. Especially if that was some kind of romantic slur."

"What does it take to drill it into your brain? I hate you!"

"I'm glad we can agree on at least one thing. But since my sister is in danger and you're desperate enough to help me so you can meet the wonderful Princess Antonia we're going to have to avoid killing each other for at least a few days."

"But once the few days are up and in turns out that this 'Princess Antonia' isn't real, then I can kill you right?" Hans pulled the bag from the boat and slung it over his shoulder.

Anna started walking along the shore. "Sure, you can kill me all you want then. But right now you have to help me." Anna looked at the cliff. "Now help me climb this thing."

"Forget about it," Hans said.

"Well thanks. To be honest I wouldn't want your help anyway." Anna started attempting to scale the cliff. Suddenly she was glad Kristoff had made her climb the Northern Mountain earlier that autumn. Why had she let him do that? Oh yeah. She had begged him.

Hans paused. "Wait, is that mud"

"Get used to it." Anna pulled herself up a few feet.

"But I'm wearing white!"

"Great! This day could turn out to be fun after all!"

-x-X-x-

Elsa sat in the wagon, knees drawn up. She looked at the spots of light that lined the floor from the slots in the wall. They were coming in the opposite side of the wagon now. They had turned around. She had a limited sense of time inside the cell but the since the streams of light where short and landed close to the wall she could surmise that it was close to noon. Being close to noon the light would point south. And the light was streaming in the opposite direction that the wagon was going. So they were heading north. Something had made Dagon change his plans.

A thin layer of frost crept across the ground. _Maybe he has finally decided to hold me hostage against my country_. But if Dagon wanted Arendelle he could have taken it with ease the moment she had been captured. Dagon seemed to care only about having power yet passed up power over a whole kingdom._ What does he want?_

A thought struck Elsa. _North._ He was heading not towards Arendelle, but _past_ it. He was heading towards the trolls. Elsa had been desperate to buy time and rashly told him about the trolls.

_Dose everything you do end up getting some one hurt?_ No. Elsa could figure a way out of this. She just had to think. And being trapped in her shackles, thinking was all she really could do.

-x-X-x-

Kristoff pushed himself away from the floor and wiped the blood from his nose.

"You look pretty bad," Jacob said.

Kristoff staggered to his feet and grabbed Jacob's collar. "What's your game?" Kristoff shouted, venting all of his pain and despair into Jacob. "You spend all of your time skulking in the corner! caring, not caring. Can't you make up your mind? Who are you?"

Jacob eased Kristoff's hand away. "I try to protect that which is most important. Dagon was getting out of hand. What happened to you? You look as though you have failed escaping. As I predicted. Was it on purpose? Where is Anna? Did she get away?"

"Dagon was getting out of hand?" Kristoff said. "You know Dagon? How?"

Jacob sat silently before deciding to reply. "Dagon is my son. He kept his powers a secret from me his whole life. Until one day when he lost control. He killed his own sister and drove me and my wife away. We took refuge in Arendelle and I have been waiting for a chance to fix what happened."

Kristoff stood silently. _Jacob knew the whole time; he could have_ _warned us_. Kristoff clenched a fist.

"You knew he had powers? And you kept it a secret? You lead Elsa to meet the Army of the Wastes and you _knew!?_ Anna could be dead because of him!" Kristoff spat his words.

"I did what I felt in my heart was right. _You have no right to judge what I have done with my life!_" Jacob raised his voice for the first time Kristoff could remember. But Kristoff still wasn't satisfied.

"You lead a group of Arendelle's young men into battle against your son and only you came back. Did you pull something? Is that you idea of protecting people?"

"I did what had to be done," Jacob said stoically.

"_No!_ You didn't have to do _any _of this! You let those men get captured didn't you? _Anna might be dead now!_"

"What about you? As soon as you escaped Anna was yours to protect! If she is gone then _you_ killed her! You have no idea who I am! I am not a monster! I am a man, a human being. That is all anyone can be!"

Kristoff sank to the floor. "I... was... trying to _protect_ her!" he sobbed. He clenched a fist against the floor.

"That is all I have ever done. How far would you go to protect Anna?"

"I would... have never...let all of this... happen..." Kristoff collapsed, shuddering.


	11. Inside and Out

Snake sat down in the circle of men around the fire. The caravan had stopped for the night in a clearing in the woods. Various men now warmed themselves with the heat from the flames. Those around Snake chattered amongst themselves.

"You where the one who was scared of a little snowman," one of them, Magnus by name, said.

"That thing was freaky. It was moving around and it _talked_," returned another, Oscar.

"With someone like Dagon as our leader you should be pretty used to bizarre by now."

"You where the one who felt the need to cut its head off."

"But did you see how it kept walking around after that? It was _smiling._"

"I think it tried to hug me."

"Then Dagon showed up and took it away." This time it was a large bald man who called himself Tusk who spoke. Snake noticed he had a large bruise on his face and he cradled one of his arms.

"You look pretty bad," Snake said to him.

"One of the horses went wild and almost trampled me. One of those stupid Arendelle mares," Tusk said.

"It's those prisoners fault for trying to escape!" another man said.

"I told you talking snowmen were bad luck."

"Those stupid prisoners are screwin' with us," a well-muscled man named Bron said. "Those stupid soldiers I've been watching don't even act scared of me! Dagon won't even let me beat some real fear into them."

Snake grimaced and rubbed his hands together. "Dagon's acting soft on the other prisoners too. He's trying to get to them by _talking_. Give me a minute with the prisoners and some hot coals and I'd have them spilling their guts out to us."

"We used to be the greatest bandits in the wastes!" Bron said. "We plundered what we wanted and lived as brothers. All Dagon cares about is his own power."

"And now we're freezing here in the cold," Snake said.

"But what can we do? We can't fight Dagon. One may as well try to fight a storm."

"No one would stand a chance. Remember what happened to Thorbjørn?" Tusk said. A hush fell over the men and some of them slid away from Tusk. He had mentioned Snake's brother. The former leader of the Army of the Wastes. People who mentioned him were know to lose body parts.

Snake glared into the heart of the flames at the mention of his brother. Thorbjørn had refused to let Dagon take over. So Dagon had challenged him to an all-out no rules fight to decide who would be the leader of the Army of the Wastes. Dagon walked away from the battle. They had watched Thorbjørn lose to Dagon only to stand back up, asking for more. He would be knocked down again only to stand back up. Dagon's powers made him invincible but Thorbjørn hadn't given up until he died. From that moment on no one had challenged Dagon. This had happened back when Snake was called Kjetil; after that day Kjetil had left his past and name behind. Not that Snake had cared for his brother. He had planned on killing him. But somehow he never quite did it.

"Did you hear something big move around in the woods earlier?" Tusk said to change the subject and, hopefully, save his limbs. "Could have been a bear or something."

"It was probably just a deer," Bron said.

"That reminds me," Tusk said, "did you ever find the mouse?"

Snake flicked one hand. "I stopped looking. She's dead and that's the end of it. And even if she wasn't I would have killed her as soon I found her."

Tusk let out a barely audible sigh of relief. Snake didn't seem to want to kill him.

"I almost wish the other prisoners would try something. Give us an excuse to rough them up a little." Bron rubbed his hands together in front of the fire.

"What about the queen?" Tusk said.

"Dagon won't let us near her. She'd be the most fun," Snake said.

Bron laughed. "Even Dagon's afraid of her. You wouldn't last a minute."

"Everyone has a weak point." Snake stared into the flames. "You just have to find it."

-x-X-x-

Dagon unlocked the door and walked in. Elsa was sitting in the corner; her restraints were frozen and a thin layer of ice spread across the ground.

"Your powers are truly exceptional," Dagon said. "Why do you still keep your secret from me? I would let you and your sister go if you let me know how you became so strong."

"Fear," Elsa said without looking up.

Dagon knelt down next to her. "What did you say?"

"Fear. Fear made my power grow," Elsa said. Slowly the ice on the floor retracted. Elsa lifter her head and met Dagon's gaze. "I'm not afraid of you anymore."

"I know that you are still not telling me the whole truth," Dagon said. "You were able to Thaw Ann's heart. How were you able to do that?"

Elsa rose to her feet. "Let me see her and I'll tell you."

Dagon stood up to meet her eyes. "I cannot let you see your sister."

"Then I will tell you nothing," Elsa said. Her gaze bore straight into his. Somehow Dagon found he couldn't meet her eyes.

"You would only lie to me anyway. But one way or another I _will_ find out. You cannot stop me and I will not rest until my powers grow to be like yours." Dagon turned and left, locking the door behind him.

-x-X-x-

Anna pulled herself over the top of the cliff and sprawled out panting. Once she caught her breath she rolled onto her stomach and peered over the side.

"How much longer do you think you'll be?" she called down to Hans.

"If you had helped with rowing, or carried this bag, I'd be doing a lot better," he returned.

"But it's kind of fun to watch you sweat it out down there."

"This would be much easier if you stopped talking," Hans grunted.

"I have the sudden urge to tell you my life story."

"We can't save your sister if I'm down here." Hans hoisted himself a little further up.

"I don't see how you could really help me anyway." Anna flicked a clump of grass impatiently. She watched him for a few moments before standing up. "This is getting pathetic," she called. "Didn't you bring a rope in that marvelous bag of yours?"

"This 'marvelous bag' is going to keep us alive. Unless you don't want to eat."

"What about a rope?"

"What do you take me for?"

"You don't want to know. Do you have a rope or don't you?"

"Considering you seem to be all mouth I'd say you would have to eat a lot. Yes I have a rope."

"Okay, I'll just act like you didn't say that. Toss the rope up here; I'll pull you up."

"I don't need help from you."

"Okay then. I'll just wait up here." Anna sat down and drummed her fingers on her knee until Hans pulled himself over the edge of the cliff. He knelt down to catch his breath.

"Enjoy your perilous journey?" Anna said.

"Which way do we go?" Hans asked ignoring her jibe.

Anna looked around. "Ummm..."

"Please don't tell me you don't know." Hans gestured to the ground. "Look. There are tracks, you have to know."

Anna stood up and walked to the tracks. She shook her head. "They go both ways."

"So you have to idea at _all_ where to go?"Hans said. "This keeps getting better and better."

"Which direction are we from Arendelle?" Anna asked.

Hans motioned towards the castle. "Um, south?"

"Of course. I knew that. But why would we have been going south?" Anna started to pace. "What's south of here?" she asked.

"Nothing," Hans said. "Just the wastes."

Anna came to a halt and placed a fist in the palm of her hand. "That's it! They were going to the wastes!"

"Why would anyone go _to_ the wastes?" Hans said.

"They're the _Army of the Wastes_," Anna said.

Hans stood bolt upright. "You never told that an army of lowlife bandits were the ones who captured your sister."

"Why should I have? Are your cousins or something?" Anna started to walk along the ridge.

"You're going north. South is that way." Hans pointed a pointed a finger the opposite direction.

"I know, but the tracks go both ways. They doubled back."

Hans caught up to her. "Why would they double back?"

Anna stopped dead. "Oh no," she said.

Hans turned to face her. "Now what is it?"

"Trolls," Anna said.

"Trolls?" Hans threw his hand into the air. "That's it. You have officially gone crazy." Hans started to walk back.

"No! Elsa told him about the trolls! He's going north because he can't get her to say anything else!"

Hans rubbed his temples. "I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."

Anna started to run. "Just follow me!" she called.

Hans started after her. "Why are we running?" he said trying to keep up with her.

"We have to catch up with them as soon as we can!"

"And running helps because...?"

"It's faster stupid head!"

Hans grabbed Anna and forced her to a stop. "If we run all we do is tire ourselves out." He pointed ahead of them. "Look. There's a forest not too far ahead. If what you say is true then they had to have gone through it. In a large group forests make for extremely slow progress."

Anna pushed his hands off of herself. "Don't touch me okay?"

Hans wiped his hands off on his jacket. "But I'm right aren't I?"

Anna started walking. "Come one. We don't have any more time to lose."

Hans walked after her. "But I was right."

"Okay. Fine. You're right. Do you want your money back?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN **I might be a bit late for the next chapter depending on how things roll out. Hopefully I'll be able to continue with the regular updates but life may get in the way.


	12. Torment, Sorrow, and Chocolate

**A/N**To heck with life. I'll write anyway.

Possible trigger warning: General loss and mourning.

(That is, warning for a possible trigger. Not something that might be a warning.)

So I guess it really is impossible to write a Frozen FanFic without mentioning chocolate...

* * *

><p>Sven was starving for a carrot. He had simple gone to long without. So when he saw one he went for it. Perhaps with a touch of regret thereafter.<p>

-x-X-x-

_This is ridiculous_, Hans thought. The uneven ground he could take. The fact that his clothes where pretty much ruined he could take. But he couldn't stand the noise!

"Come on," Anna panted. "Can't you go any fast than that?"

"That's it! We're stopping here," Hans said.

Anna turned to face him. "What are you talking about? We have to keep going." She smoothed back a lock of hair that had fallen in front of the face.

"We can't walk for twenty-four hours a day," Hans said. "We're going to have to stop sometime. And if it means I can take a break from your whining I'll take it."

Anna looked ahead of them at the trail the horses and war wagons had made. "But..." she trailed off.

"Not buts." Hans set the bag he was carrying onto the ground.

"Well come to think I _am_ pretty hungry." Anna walked towards the bag. Hans reached and pulled out a parcel wrapped in a cloth. He pulled away the wrap to reveal a loaf of bread. He removed a knife from the bag and began to slice the loaf.

"Bread?" Anna said.

"Get used to it," Hans said.

"I can't live off just bread!"

Hans gestured to the surrounding undergrowth. "Fell free to look for mushrooms and berries. Hopefully you'll find something poisonous."

Anna snatched one of the slices of bread an slouched against a tree. "Honestly, what do they _teach_ you in the Southern Isle?"

"They teach us that you can't carry a hundred pounds of food and travel at the same time." Hans reached into the bag again.

Anna took a begrudged bite from her bread. "What's that?"

Hans turned away from her. "Nothing," he said. Anna heard a distinct _crunch_.

"Is that-"

"No it isn't."

She could smell it to. "You didn't say you had chocolate!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Anna fell onto her hands and knees. "Please? You have to give me some! I need it! I have special dietary needs and-"

"Be thankful for what I give you."

Anna sat back and crossed her arms. "That reminds me of a _very_ long story."

Hans threw the piece of divinity at her. "Please, just shut up!"

"My pleasure," Anna said with a satisfied crunch.

-x-X-x-

Kristoff lay on the floor of the war wagon and wondered how much time had even passed. He felt completely alone. The man who sat next to him didn't exist. Lying there the cold, cold truth sank into him.

_Anna is dead._

He felt sick to his stomach. What was the last thing he saw? her hand? He had touched it. Just briefly. he hadn't thought that that would be the last time he saw her. He didn't think that if someone weren't to walk away that it would be her. Why hadn't he said anything? Why hadn't he _done _anything? He was useless. He could do nothing but will away the time until the next meal was shoved through the door. Even when the sparse food did come Kristoff couldn't bring himself to eat. He had left the dry bread untouched.

Anna couldn't be dead. It was impossible; how many times had she survived with unthinkable odds stacked against her? More than Kristoff could count. A few months earlier Kristoff hadn't even met her. _A few months ago I was alone._ No person he had met seemed to care. His only friends abandoned him years ago. It had been just him and Sven. _And the trolls._ Kristoff sat up. How could he have forgotten the trolls? They had raised him since he was a kid. They had been better company than any human he'd ever met.

Up until Anna.

Anna had been different from anyone who he'd ever met before. She didn't have an ounce of hostility in her. Any attempt she made at superiority failed miserably, even when faced with a lowly ice harvester. Her actions were carried onwards do to her caring. Her love for her sister and the people kept her going. Kristoff had forgotten that humans could be like that. The distant memories of his parents had been lost on him and he had forgotten what human warmth could be like. He had gone so long without it, distancing himself from other people. Kristoff once again had felt what it was like. An emotion so deeply buried in his past he thought it was gone forever. Love was the greatest force on earth and Kristoff had forgotten he could feel for humans too.

Now she was gone. Jacob, Dagon, all those in the Army of the Wastes surrounded Kristoff. He had been reminded of the ugliness of mankind. The cruelty, the ruthlessness that was embedded in their hearts. Maybe he had been right all along. Maybe people _were_ evil. But then Anna... If humans where wicked then did that mean Anna was as well? No, that wasn't it. Kristoff didn't know what to think.

_Hunger is getting to you_, Kristoff thought. He grabbed the bread and tried to eat a few bites. But he cast back onto the ground after less than a mouthful.

_What's wrong with you?_ Nothing he thought made sense. His eyes were growing dim. _No, the room is actually getting darker. Is it night? _Kristoff's eyes fell on Jacob, who was sitting in the corner.

Sitting! Still just sitting! What was _with_ him anyway?

_Don't think about him. Just forget he's there._ Jacob didn't seem real. Kristoff wasn't even sure what _was_ real. He thought he could here Anna, smell Sven.

_You need to rest_. _If you get some sleep you'll be able to think clearly_.

Kristoff yearned for sleep but at the same time feared it. If he were to fall asleep how could he be sure he'd wake up. He laid his head down and closed his eyes, trying not to think. Trying not to think about Jacob, about Anna. Anna, who he may have been the one to kill.

Kristoff wasn't sure when it was he fell asleep but when he had his mind cast into dreams that were even less restful than life.

-x-X-x-

"Why are you putting all of the provisions up a tree?" Anna asked as Hans pulled the rope, lifting the bag higher.

"If I don't do this wild animals could get to them," Hans said as he tied the rope around the trunk of the tree.

"Great idea. Now if we get eaten at least our stuff will be safe," Anna said.

Hans finished the knot on the rope. "Let's just find someplace to sleep."

Anna started walking. "Okay, I'll go this way and you can go that way. We'll both meet up here in the morning."

"Safety in numbers," Hans said. "We would be best off close together."

Anna whipped around. "Forget about it," she said.

Hans sighed."This is no slice of heaven for my either. But I saw signs of some large animals in the area."

Anna dug her heel into the ground. "I swear, if you so much as touch me I'll-"

"-be the first person to see hell freeze over," Hans interrupted.

Anna walked a bit further until she stopped at a mossy patch between two trees. "Just keep your distance," she said.

After a moment she lowered herself to the ground and curled up, pulling her shawl around herself. Hans slipped his boots off and set them between himself and her and flopped onto the ground.

"When was the last time you washed yourself?" Anna said.

"Shut. Up. Anna," Hans said.


	13. The Right Moment

"Wake up."

"I'm awake. Don't worry about me," Anna mumbled. She pulled her shawl over her head and rolled over.

Hans leaned against a tree. "I'm so fed up with life right now," he said. "I'm glad I decided against trying to marry you. Imagine having to suffer through this every day."

Anna yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Marry me? I though you and Ger-" She snapped to alertness. "_What the heck do you think you're doing?"_

"Waking you up, Princess sleepy-head," Hans said. Anna blew a lock of hair from her face and smoothed it back.

"What? Wait-oh!" Anna leapt to her feet and straightened her dress. "I'm glad to see that you can wake up at a reasonable hour," she said.

Hans slung the bag over his shoulder. "You are completely useless."

"Hey! I _don't_ have to just take that!"

Hans started walking. "You're the one who made me come on this suicidal journey in the first place."

Anna caught up to him. "Suicidal? There is no way we're failing this. How is it suicidal?"

"I'm with you aren't I?"

"Oh, that's _real_ mature." Anna hopped over a fallen tree.

"As if you're any more mature than I am."

"Ha! I'm a million times more mature than some stuck-up-" her stomach let off a loud growl. She placed both hands over her middle and gave a self-conscious laugh. "We forgot to eat something."

"If you hadn't overslept you would have gotten some."

"You can't just prohibit my breakfast like that! You're not my-" Anna looked away. "I mean, what right have you to decide whether or not I get to eat?"

"I'm the one who's carrying the bag," Hans said.

"That's easy to fix!"

-x-X-x-

"Somehow I feel that I worded that wrong," Anna said under the weight of the bag.

"Don't wait up," Hans said with a smile.

-x-X-x-

Elsa carefully let her power flow into the lock.

Her shackled lay broken on the ground behind her. The plan could work. But right now she needed to get herself free. So she toiled with the lock, letting her powers ebb gently into it. She gave her powers another nudge and the lock popped with a painful clank. Elsa flinched at the noise but she didn't hear any movement outside.

She slowly eased the door open and peered outside. The wagons were still and the area was quiet. The moonlight slipped through the trees and cast a glow through the crisp air. A group of horses were tied to trees a little ways into the surrounding forest.

Elsa stepped out of the wagon and crept across the ground. She moved slowly to the next wagon. As she drew nearer she could hear the voices of at least a half dozen men coming from inside it. Leaving it behind she picked her way to the next one. This one was slightly larger than the others. Its sides were solid with no crossbow slots on the side. She placed her ear against the wagon but was unable to make out any sound.

Elsa walked to the door and tried the handle. Locked, not surprisingly. But there was a good chance that Anna was inside. She placed her hand over the lock and froze it. The metal expanded and snapped. Elsa winced at the sound but when she listened for movement her ears were again met with only silence. She opened the door; inside was dark and she was unable to make out anything.

"Anna?" Elsa whispered. "Are you in here?"

Silence was her only reply.

Slowly Elsa climbed into the wagon. She tested her weight before taking each step. Her eyes began to adjust to the darkness and she was able to make out a few shapes. Her leg bumped into something hard. She stumbled backward, catching herself on a soft surface. She breathed a sigh of relief. It had just been a table she had hit. Her hands patted the around where she was leaning against. Soft yet covered with a coarse fabric.

Slowly Elsa turned her head to look behind herself. She was leaning on a mattress on which Dagon was sleeping. His hair was matted with sweat despite the chilly temperature and the scar on his face almost seemed to glow. Elsa quickly withdrew her hand and walked backwards towards the door, leaving a slight frost on the ground she stepped on.

Dagon stirred slightly but didn't wake up. Elsa reached the door and turned away from him. She quickly climbed out of the wagon and shut the door. She spared only a moment to regulate her breathing before the continued onward towards the next wagon. As she approached it she heard the muffled sound of voices coming from within. She immediately recognized Arendelle accents amongst them. She conjured an ice block and stepped onto it, raising herself to the level of the slots on the side of the wagon.

"_hey,_" she said into the slot. The murmurs from inside came to a hush.

"Who's there?" came a voice.

Elsa pulled away and looked around before returning to the slot. "It's me, Elsa."

There was a pause for a few seconds. Elsa winced at the sound of the men inside climbing over one another.

"Queen Elsa?" one said.

"You have to help us!" came another.

"How did you find us?"

"Please be quiet!" Elsa hissed. All of them immediately stopped talking. "I'm going to help all of you," Elsa continued. "I just have to figure a few things out. Is Anna in there? Kristoff?"

There was a pause. "No," one man said.

"But you're still going to help us right?"

Another flood of voices arose.

"We will be fine. Find Anna."

"Help us! I can't live like this!"

"I still don't know how you found us..."

"_Quiet_!" she said again. Again, there was a hush. And the sound of footsteps. Elsa whipped around; a member of the Army of the Wastes was approaching. Elsa cursed under her breath.

"Everything will be fine," she whispered into the wagon. "I've got leave but don't worry!"

_Darn it!_ Elsa wished she could spare the time to free them. She could just freeze the approaching man. But she had to find the others first. So she slipped away into the darkness as the man came to closer. He leaned against the side of the wagon and seemed as though he would be content standing there all night. Regretfully, Elsa picked her way down the wagons. The next few either held men from the Army of the Wastes or seemed to be empty. Elsa came to a halt as she saw a wagon that rested away from the others. Beside it was a boney man with a bent nose who sat next to a lantern, cutting away at a piece of wood with a long knife. Elsa knew instinctively that was where the others would be.

Elsa slid along the side of one of the wagons, observing the guard. She was out of view as the light from the lantern forbade him from seeing more than a little ways around him. She would have to find some way to get him to move. Elsa threw a shard of ice across the clearing. It struck a tree behind the wagon with a tinkle and the man rose to his feet.

"Who's there?" he said. He picked up the lantern and looked around. The light cast traveled across the ground towards Elsa. She pressed herself as far back against the wagon as she could. The light went past her, skimming over the tips of her shoes. The light shot back to where the shoes had been but after revealing only ordinary ground, continued onward. Elsa breathed a sigh of relief and unfroze her feet from the side of the wagon, lowering herself to the ground.

The man held out the knife and started to walk towards the trees. Elsa threw another ice shard deeper into the woods. It tinkled against a tree in the distance and the man followed the sound into the forest. Elsa dashed toward the wagon. She created an ice step for herself as she ran and she thrust her face to a slot on the side. It was too dark within to see but she could hear breathing.

"Anna?" she whispered as loudly as she dared.

"Elsa?" came a voice from the other side.

"Jacob? is that you? are the others there too?"

"It's me. The others are asleep," the voice said.

"I'm going to break you out. Don't worry about anything." Elsa stepped down from the slot and made for the door.

"Wait!" Jacob said.

"I don't have a lot of time!" Elsa hissed.

"You have to leave us."

Elsa turned back to face the slot. "What do you mean?"

"If we break out than Dagon will know. They have horses but we would be on foot. Our only chance is to wait it out."

"We can't just wait and do nothing," Elsa said.

"We have no other choice, you have to trust me. Dagon will not kill any of us. That much I am sure of."

"How can you be sure?"

"As an emissary reading actions is my job. Right now Dagon cannot afford to kill us."

"But this might be our only chance!"

"We will get another if we wait."

"And you're sure of that?"

"Of course, timing is everything."

No sooner had Jacob finished Elsa felt a hand grab her from behind. A cold blade pressed against her neck. She bit back a scream and the grass she stood on frosted and withered.

"I got ya'," the boney man said.


	14. End of the Line

Dagon stepped out of the wagon. Without his armor the tattered tunic he wore beneath was visible. More than one of the tears was lined with a blood stain. In front of him the boney guard stood proudly over his catch, knife pressed against its neck.

"Release her throat," Dagon said. Reluctantly, the man withdrew the blade.

Dagon walked towards Elsa. His feet crunched through the dry grass, leaving slightly white impressions were he stepped. "You seem to have gotten yourself free, Queen Elsa. I now stand before you without armor or weapons. There is nothing between the two of us. Are you going to kill me?"

"No," Elsa said. "As long as you have my sister I am your prisoner."

Dagon stepped closer. "That's right."

Elsa squeezed one hand into a fist, pressing it against her thigh. "What about you? Are you going to torture me for escaping? Chain me up again so I can't move?"

Dagon moved back a pace. "Like you my answer is no. I see that binds cannot hold you. So as is keeping you locked up is futile. I see that now."

Elsa's hand tightened around itself. "Then are you going to kill me?"

The boney man looked hopeful.

"Again I say no," Dagon said. "I have use for you yet. So in the meantime I find I have no choice but to let you free. As long as you stay away from the prisoners and don't try to flee, or in any way go against me and my men, I will refrain from hurting your friends. Do I make myself clear?"

"I have a larger cell," Elsa said.

"You are a smart girl," Dagon said. "Stay out of trouble and do as I tell you. I will be watching you." Dagon turned and walked back into the wagon.

Once he was gone Elsa smiled. She could definitely make use of this.

-x-X-x-

"You had better wake up tomorrow," Hans said as he pulled the rope, hoisting the bag higher into the tree.

"Wake up? Knowing you I'll probably be saving us from some giant crazed animal while you're still snoring on the ground," Anna said.

"One would think you'd run out of things to say after two days."

"You're one to talk," Anna said.

"Let's just try to get some sleep. Then maybe tomorrow we can catch up with the Army of the Wastes so I can be done with all of this. Then you can uphold your part of the deal and neither of us will ever have to see each other again. _Ever_."

"That sounds _great_ to me," Anna said. She wondered through the trees until she found a spot that was semi suitable for sleep. She laid down and pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. This evening was chillier than the last.

Hans slipped off his boots and set them between them before laying down, contemplating how long he would have to scream to drive the sound of Anna's voice from his head.

-x-X-x-

An owl hooted off in the distance. Hans looked over at Anna. She was asleep and shivered slightly for the cold. The night was chilly and her shawl didn't provide much warmth. Hans looked at his own jacket. It wouldn't help much wither, but together they could work. Hans delicately reached over and eased Anna's shawl from around her shoulders and pulled it over himself, lying his jacket on top. He felt warm for the first time that evening.

-x-X-x-

Anna woke up to the early morning sunlight, and the cold. She sat up. Her shawl was gone. She looked around. When her eyes fell on Hans she saw him laying asleep with _her shawl_ on top of him.

"That little-"Anna said, not even finishing her sentence.

She picked up an nearby pebble and threw it at him. It bounced off him without his so much as twitching but the assault had helped low off some steam. She considered throwing a larger rock, there were plenty laying around, but instead chucked another pebble. She picked up a third and tossed it to herself a few times. She reached over and slid it into Han's boot. Satisfied, she leaned back down. Just a little repayment for discomfort. As soon as her head reached the ground she heard a deep rumbling sound. She sat bolt upright and looked around. A huge dark shape rose up beneath the bag that hung from the tree. Anna kicked her feet against the ground, scooting backwards. In front of her the huge bear reared up and swatted at the bag with one peculiarly pale-colored paw. Anna's eyes opened wide as she stared at the beast.

"H-H-Hans," Anna she stammered.

Hans's head rotated slightly. "What is it?" he said without opening his eyes.

"It's-th-the bag,- your-behind-" Anna squeaked, "it's-b-bear, _bear!_"

Hans looked up. "_What_ did you say?"

Anna pointed. Slowly, Hans's gaze followed the path from her finger and fell onto the bear. He scrambled to pull on his boots and grabbed a rock off of the ground.

"Bad idea," Anna said.

"Get away from that!" Hans shouted at the bear, ignoring Anna. He threw the stone at the bear, hitting it squarely on the head. The bear fell down onto all fours and roared at him. Anna leapt to her feet and grabbed Hans. She started to run, pulling Hans behind until hi feet caught up. The bear bounded after them, paws thundering against the ground.

"_What were you thinking back there?_" Anna shouted as they scrambled through the woods.

"Shut up!" Hans snapped back.

The bear charged after them, limping on one foot. A minor ailment that no doubt save both of them.

Anna and Hans burst from the trees and to the edge of a ravine.

"End of the line," Hans said as he came to a stumbling halt. "Got any brilliant ideas now?"

Anna looked around. They were next to a ravine that spread both ways deep into the woods. Trees lined each side, one of which seemed to have fallen across the gap. "Bridge!" she said pointing at the log.

"Are you crazy? We have no idea if that thing can hold us."

Anna ran towards it. "Fine, I'll go across. You wait for the bear."

Hans looked back to see the bear definitely closer than he wanted. He ran after Anna and onto the log as the bear burst from the woods.

"Feet steady, watch your step, don't look down," Anna said as they started across the makeshift bridge.

Hans was nearly doomed by a stumble. "There's something in my boot!" he said.

"Keep focused," Anna said. "Almost there."

The bear paced around the end of the log.

"You wouldn't happen to _know_ anything about what's in my boot would you?"

"Keep your breath even and spread your arms for balance," Anna said. She jumped off onto the other side.

Hans almost made it to the end before stumbling. A misplaced foot threw his balance off and sent him tumbling over the side of the log. Anna dove to grab him. Her hands clasped around one of his and she fell onto her stomach, dangling halfway over the edge. Less-than-soft-looking rocks stared up at them from the bottom of the ravine.

"You had better be worth this," Anna grunted as she have him a tug. She hoisted him up a few inches until he was able to grab onto the edge with his free hand. Once he got a hold Hans clambered onto the ground and pulled off his boot.

"You almost killed me," he said.

"Kill you? I _saved_ you! You could at least show some appreciation."

Hans turned his boot upside down and a pebble fell out.

"Surely you don't thing _I_ have anything to do with that do you?" Anna said with her best innocent face.

"I would thank you but since you were the one who almost got me killed in the first place it cancels out," Hans said.

"Hey, you have no proof that I have anything to do with that pebble."

One the other side of the ravine the bear roared.

"We had better get going," Anna said.

They both ran.

* * *

><p><strong>AN **I'm going to take this time to stand up on a soap box and say emphatically, _NEVER DO THIS!_  
>Both Hans and Anna would have flunked the "How to survive a encounter with a bear" test. If you want to know what one should do in such situations there are much better places than this story to look.<p> 


	15. Echoes of Magic

**A/N** Hopefully everything should be back to normal. So my updates should be a tad less sporadic.

* * *

><p>Kristoff opened his eyes. He ran a hand down his face as his vision slowly came into focus. He still lay inside of the dimly lit wagon. But he had no idea how much time had passed. The guards seemed to come less often, the food more sporadically. It seemed as though he had been forgotten about by his captors. Not that he would think they would care about a lowly ice harvester. He was no one of importance at all.<p>

"Here anything strange last night?" Jacob said.

Kristoff placed a hand on the ground and lifted his torso from the ground. "Don't talk to me."

"I asked you a question. Did you hear anything last night?"

Kristoff rose to his feet. "No! I didn't hear anything last night. What do you want from me anyway?" Kristoff leaned against the wall. His legs felt shaky. "You know, on second thought, don't answer that. Don't say _anything_ to me." Jacob obligingly said nothing more.

Kristoff closed his eyes and shifted so his back was on the side of the wagon. _Why can't time just pass? Get it over with_, he thought. But the more he thought the more he saw there was nothing to get over. There was no future. Dagon hadn't so much as made an fake promise for his release. No one had so much as talked to him. It seemed all too likely that he would spend the rest of his life withering in the darkness. However short his life would be.

Kristoff gagged and thrust a hand to his mouth. He sank to his knees and clutched at his face. His body convulsed and a foul taste rammed its way up his throat. He leaned over and threw up.

_How much longer am I supposed to go through this?_ He just wanted it to be over.

-x-X-x-

Dagon slid they key into the lock on the chest and turned it. He heard the click and slowly opened the lid. A burst of cold air hit him as he did. Dagon's eyes glazed over into a distant stare. It was one of the brief moments he allowed himself to look inside, to remember. And as he did the memory of a snowstorm flashed through his mind. A snowstorm with someone standing in the center of it.

Dagon heard the sound of a door being opened quietly. He slammed the lid down on the chest.

"What was inside that?" Elsa asked as she stepped in.

Dagon turned to face her. "What was it is no concern of yours," he said. "Now get out."

Elsa took a cautious step forward. "You told me I had the freedom to go where I wanted."

"Let me make one thing clear. Remember this one, solitary thing and you will be fine." Dagon locked the chest. "You are my prisoner. Your chains may be invisible but do not forget for one moment that they are there. You are alive because I choose to let you live. I am not your host. I am a parasite. I will feed off you and your friends until I deem fit. You cannot negotiate with me. You cannot _reason_ with me. You are my prisoner and don't forget that for one second!" Dagon grabbed Elsa and pushed her towards the door. Elsa struggled against his grip.

"If you would listen to me for one-"

"I am not interested in anything you have to say. Obey me and keep quiet or I will cut off your hands!" Dagon roared. He shoved her out of the wagon and slammed the door shut.

Elsa picked herself up off the ground. She had barely gotten a glimpse of the contents of the chest but what she had saw, and what it could have been... Elsa, the Ice Queen, felt a shiver run down her spine.

"So what kind of secrets does Dagon have stashed inside there?" Snake said from behind her.

Elsa whipped around and took a step back. Snake moseyed his way closer to her.

"There ain't no locked door between us anymore," he said.

Elsa retreated another step. "Keep away from me," she said.

"And I've got plans. Big plans," Snake said.

"I said stay away." Elsa waved a hand and froze his feet to the ground. "I'm not afraid of you."

Snake pulled desperately at his legs. "Someday you'll run out of luck. Magic won't keep you safe forever."

"I wouldn't worry about that." Elsa turned and walked away.

-x-X-x-

Anna hugger herself against the cold as she and Hans made their way along the side of the ravine.

"Look," she said pointing, "the Northern Mountain."

Hans rubbed his arms. "Really? Where?" he said sarcastically.

"It means we're almost there!" Anna said. "Just a little further and across the ravine!"

Hans stopped. "Wait, the Ravine?"

Anna turned back to look at him. "Yes, of course, we crossed over it way back there didn't we?"

"Are you saying we're on the wrong side of it now?"

Anna started walking again. "Well I'm sorry. I assumed you didn't want to get eaten by the bear."

Hans trudged after her. "How do you even suggest we cross it? It was sheer luck that there was even a fallen tree back there in the first place."

Anna shrugged. "I don't know. I can't be that hard. Just push another tree down or something."

"How do you expect we push over a tree even half as stable as we would need it to be? Right now I don't even have my knife and rope because we lost the bag when the bear attacked us!"

"You act like the bear was my fault."

"Well, if it wasn't for you I would have never gone on this stupid trip in the first place."

"Don't say that." Anna thrust a fist into the air. "This is an adventure! A perilous journey into the brink of death for the greater good!"

Hans's hand found its way to his temple. This had been almost a position of default over the last two days. "I don't care what you promised me. This cannot be worth it."

"Don't worry. Once this is all over I'll take you to the wonderful Princess Antonia. Everyone loves her. It'll be worth it, you'll see."

"Tell me, exactly who is this Princess Antonia you keep telling me about?"

"Look!" Anna said. "Another bridge!" Her finger pointed at a fallen tree that spanned the ravine. It was dark in color and sagged in the middle. Large patches of bark were missing from the trunk.

Hans stared skeptically at the rotten log. "That? It couldn't hold a squirrel."

"Sure it could," Anna said. "It'll work just fine."

At that moment a squirrel scampered down a nearby tree. It jumped onto the end of the log and stared quizzically at it for a moment before hopping further across it. The old fallen tree groaned and let out a crack the sent the squirrel running back to the other side.

"See?" Anna said. "It didn't break."

-x-X-x-

The bear lumbered across the edge of the ravine. Its bad paw was starting to hurt again. The aggressive humans had been chased away but something about them bothered the bear. It had noticed something about the girl. A scent that lingered on her like an unforgiving memory.

Magic, echoes of magic.

The residual smell haunted the bear. And the bear wanted rid of it.


	16. Slipping

**A/N **Thanks to all those who have read and reviewed my story so far (although it looks as though five of you skipped chapter thirteen. It's not unlucky, trust me.)

Put on your hardhats and pump some iron becomes things are going to start to get heavy.

* * *

><p>The door swung open and a blinding glare poured in. Kristoff shielded his face against the light. As his eyes came to adjust he saw an armored man step inside the wagon. A set of scars ran down half of his face. Kristoff knew immediately that this must be Dagon.<p>

"Get up," Dagon said.

Jacob rose but Kristoff remained still. Dagon thumped his foot against Kristoff.

"I said get up."

Kristoff rose shakily to his feet.

Dagon turned around and made to leave.

"Don't you remember me?" Jacob said.

"You are no one. Not even a memory. Now come, both of you," Dagon said with his back to them.

Dagon left the wagon and Jacob followed. Kristoff lingered a moment. Should he go? Did he have a choice? Did it even matter? He looked outside and realized that one way or another all of this would end.

He followed Dagon.

As Kristoff stepped onto the ground he saw the wagons around them had come to a stop and the horses were grouped together. Men were standing all around as Dagon led them to the edge of the crowd. Kristoff saw Elsa. Part of him was ecstatic but confusion overpowered it. Why was she standing there with no form of restraint at all?

The bald-headed man and few others Kristoff didn't recognize stood around her. Two of them were carrying an ornate chest. Kristoff noticed Dagon's gaze continually falling onto the chest.

"The ground ahead is too uneven. We continue on foot." Dagon placed a hand on the chest. "The seven of us shall keep going and the rest will stay behind."

"Wait," Elsa said, "where's Anna?"

Dagon started to walk. "Anna escaped long ago."

Elsa ran up beside him. "She escaped? You were bluffing with your threats?"

Dagon didn't respond. As Kristoff followed he couldn't help but feel uneasy. Wasn't he also worth protecting? Hadn't Dagon just said _escaped?_

A tall man with dark, ropey hair laughed. "Anna? she's dead, the way we sees it."

"No one asked you, Snake," Dagon said.

Kristoff clenched his fist. "You don't even deserve to say Anna's name!"

Snake cackled. "People who cling to stupid feelings are so fun to watch squirm!"

Blood pounded in Kristoff's ears and he glared at Snake.

Jacob glanced briefly at Kristoff. "Where are we going?" he asked Dagon.

"We will continue in silence," Dagon said.

Kristoff glanced at Elsa. She was walking with a stoic expression on her face.

_Why isn't she doing anything? They barely outnumber us,_ Kristoff thought.

But all the same Elsa walked wordlessly onward.

-x-X-x-

Anna crawled across the half-rotten log.

"If you fall I'm not climbing all the way down to get your body," Hans called from behind her.

"Be quiet, I'm concentrating!" Anna shimmied forward a few more inches.

"You should have tried doing that before you started crossing that thing. Then you may not have."

"I'm just going to zone you out alright?" She inched forward and was met by a groan from the log. Hans was still talking but, true to her word, she wasn't listening. She scooted forward.

_Almost halfway there._

The tree groaned again. Anna's knee slipped out from under her and began to slide off the side of the log. He hands clawed at the bark, trying to grab onto something.

"Nononono," she squeaked.

Hans stood up and looked at her dangling over the ravine. He rolled his eyes, took a breath, and tested his weight on the log. "I'm going to regret this," he said, then looking down, he added, "however briefly."

Anna grabbed onto a twig that jutted out from the side of the tree but it snapped in her hand. He feet dangled over nothingness.

She stole a glance downwards. Beneath her jagged rocks were staring expectantly up at her. "I'm really starting to miss snow."

Hans pulled himself closer, flinching at every crack the log made. "What you just said made no sense."

"You would have had to have been there."

"I'm focusing on now right now." Hans pulled himself a little further and reached out towards her. "Grab my hand," he said without any heroism in his voice.

"Sorry saving me is such a chore," Anna said. She reached out and they locked fingers. Hans pulled her back up onto the tree. As soon as she got a foothold the log gave a loud cracking sound.

"Run!" Anna cried. The tree started to fold inwards on itself as they clambered to the other side. The end of the log slid off the side of the ravine. Anna leapt, barely making to the other end and teetering on the edge. Hans jumped after her and rolled onto the ground. He heaved a breath and rose to his knees.

"You owe me one," he said panting.

Anna put a hand on his shoulder. "Not until I leave you to freeze solid somewhere and then go try and kill you sister."

"Don't touch me," Hans said.

Anna straightened up and started to walk again. Hans heaved another breath and started after her.

"Just a little further," she said.

"I'm really regretting not throwing you back into the sea when I had the chance."

"Don't worry. Nothing else will happen. I mean, after all this what could it possibly get any wor-"

"Don't finish that," Hans interrupted. "As soon as you say that something bad is going to happen."

"You have no faith in me," Anna said.

Hans was about to confirm this when a growling made him pause. he looked around. "Bear," he said.

"What?" Anna turned around.

"Your bear!"

"I'm _what?_"

The bear crashed out from the trees.

"Run! just run!" Hans shouted.

-x-X-x-

"We're almost there," Elsa said.

Kristoff shook his head from confusion. Elsa was not only going with Dagon but also _helping _him? An even greater concern was how close they were getting to the Valley of the Living Rock. Kristoff stopped walking.

"What are we doing?" he asked.

"Keep walking," Dagon said.

"No. I'm not going to keep walking. Elsa, what's going on?"

Elsa paused. "I think I know how to handle the situation," she said.

Kristoff crossed his arms. "Why are you leading them here?"

Snake hit Kristoff's back. "He said keep walking."

Kristoff was infuriated by Snake, but even more so by Elsa. Why wasn't she telling him anything? _doing_ anything? But Kristoff could find nothing to do but trudge onward. Nothing made sense. Maybe this was all just a cruel trick the world was playing on him. Everything was a mess. What was wrong with Elsa? Had she just given up? Kristoff wished Anna was there. She always had some sort of crazy idea that would either save them or kill them. But right now, Kristoff wasn't sure he could tell the difference anymore.

Snake and the other two men yelled. Kristoff spun around to see the two men had dropped the chest and Snake was looking around in bewilderment.

Dagon spun around. "What are you doing?" he roared. "Be careful with that!"

Snake spat. "Why don't you tell_ me_ what happened?" He pushed his hand forward only to have a wall of blue light in front of it, blocking him.

"Grand Pabbie must have put a spell on this place," Kristoff said under his breath.

"A selective wall?" Dagon said. "Why was I able to get through?"

"And me as well," Jacob said.

Dagon walked towards Snake. "Can the chest pass through?" he asked.

"What is it with you and this chest?" Snake said.

Dagon's eyes narrowed. "Do not make me repeat myself."

The two men exchanged a glance and then bent down to push the chest to Dagon. As soon as they got close the wall appeared but the chest traveled unhindered.

"It appears you men cannot go any further with us," Elsa said. A barely detectable smile played at the corner of her mouth. "What do we do now?"

Dagon was quiet for several moments. "We continue." He turned to face his men. "You stay here."

Snake grimaced but said nothing.

Dagon gestured towards Kristoff. "Help me carry this." He bent down to grab the chest.

Kristoff glanced over at Elsa. She gave a slight nod and Kristoff took one end of the chest and he and Dagon lifted it from the ground.

"If there is a barrier that means Pabbie is expecting us," Kristoff said.

"And me also," Dagon said with a frown.

"But how did he know?" Kristoff asked.

He heard a familiar laugh. "Hi, I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs." Olaf emerged from the bushes, smiling despite the absence of his nose, and extended his arms to Dagon.

"What's going on?" Dagon said.

"Olaf?" Kristoff said in disbelief. He dropped his half of the chest.

"Not just Olaf," Elsa said. Sven jumped out from the forest and leapt towards Kristoff.

"Sven?" Kristoff laughed. He hugged his friend. "I can't believe you're here! How did you do it?"

"When Elsa told me to go I went to find help," Olaf said. "But as I was running I found Sven! It turns out He had been following you the whole time. But he didn't recognize me at first." Olaf patted the flat center of his face.

"You followed me Kristoff said. "You rascal you!"

"Then we caught up to you," Olaf continued. "I snuck passed some nice-looking men and found Elsa. We talked and she told me to warn Grand Pabbie. So we did and here we are! Isn't it all just magical?"

Dagon's face darkened and he clenched a fist. "Grand Pabbie? the troll? I've been set up?"


	17. The Storm

**A/N** This chapter is another of the reasons this story is rated T and contains violence and injury.

* * *

><p>Anna ran as fast as she could.<p>

-x-X-x-

Kristoff let go of Sven. "You had a plan this whole time?" he said to Elsa.

Elsa smiled. "Not the whole time. I got the idea when Olaf found me."

Dagon clenched his fist. "I am still in control here!"

Jacob shook his head. "I doubt it." Dagon shot him a glare but Jacob continued. "All the same I'd like to know why did they let you pass through."

"I wanted to see you." Grand Pabbie stepped out from the shadows.

"Grand Pabbie!" Kristoff cheered

The troll looked around. "We're one short yet. Where is Anna?"

-x-X-x-

Anna heard the bear crashing through the undergrowth behind her. Hans was starting to fall behind. She came to a steep slope and half ran, half slid, down it.

-x-X-x-

"What was the point of letting Dagon and I come here?" Jacob said. "What do you want?"

"I have some questions that I would like to ask and some knowledge that I wish to share with Dagon," Pabbie said. "And you as well, Jacob."

Grand Pabbie wanted to _talk_ to Dagon? Kristoff held his arms out in front of him. "Can someone _please _tell me what's going on?"

Anna fell down from a nearby ledge and into his arms.

"Oh, hi," she said.

Kristoff fell back. "Anna?" he enveloped her in a bear hug. "Anna," he said again.

"I missed all of you too," she said pushing his arms away. "But there's something I really think I should tell you."

They heard a scream come from where Anna had fallen. Anna got to her feet and scrambled up the ledge. The others followed closely behind. When they reached the top they saw Hans backed against the barrier with a huge bear looming over him.

"Oh my, I wasn't expecting him." Grand Pabbie waved a hand and a hole appeared in the barrier around Hans letting him fall through.

"Hans?" Elsa said.

"What's _he_ doing here?" Kristoff asked. "Can I hurt him?"

Hans got to his feet and ran towards them. "I could have been killed!" he shouted.

"To bad you weren't," Kristoff said.

"You can kill him later," Anna said. "Right now let's focus on staying alive."

"Leaving would be a good idea," Pabbie said. "The wall was not made to stop nonhumans."

The bear roared.

Hans scrambled away and Jacob ran down the slope uncharacteristically fast. Anna grabbed Elsa's hand and tugged it but Elsa pulled back.

"We've got to get out of here," Kristoff said.

"No, I can stop the bear," Elsa said. "Easily. We don't really need to run."

Anna let go of her hand. She had forgotten that, as scared as she had been of it, it was, after all, just a bear. And her sister was totally awesome.

"Don't hurt the creature," Pabbie said. "It means no harm."

Anna muttered something the sound like "yeah, right" but Elsa just nodded. "Don't worry. I don't need to hurt it," she said. It would be easy. All she'd need was a wall.

Dagon flew through the air and crashed into Elsa. She was knocked back and tumbled down the hill. Dagon was left laying on the ground.

"Elsa!" Anna shouted and ran after her sister.

Kristoff spared a glance backwards to see the bear running towards them before following Anna. Grand Pabbie rolled into a stone and followed them down. When he reached the bottom Kristoff saw Anna grabbing Elsa in her arms. Elsa's face was smeared with blood.

"Elsa!" Kristoff shouted.

Elsa shook her head and opened her eyes. "I'm fine," she said.

"You're bleeding!" Anna said.

Elsa placed a hand against her face and pulled it away. He fingers were lined with red. "It's okay, it isn't mine." Elsa rose slowly to her feet.

Anna shot a glare and Grand Pabbie. "Still think that it means no harm?"

"Perhaps I misjudged the situation," Grand Pabbie admitted. "But I've never known an animal to act as such."

"You should get out more," Kristoff said. "I see that all the time."

Anna raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe once."

Elsa looked up the hill. "Let's get back on-" She was interrupted by a scream.

-x-X-x-

The smell of magic was strong here. The bear wanted to find the source and stop it.

But there was another smell here too, one the bear would never forget. The man from when the scent of magic had been first burned into the bear's brain.

Its bad paw started to hurt as it started towards the humans. It let out a roar. Satisfied with the fear it caused the bear charged at them. The scattered, some in groups, some faster than others, but the bear knew which to hunt. The one who was alone. The one it hated.

-x-X-x-

The bear's paw struck Dagon and he was thrown through the air. He slammed into Elsa and tumbled onto the ground. The pain from the bear's claws tearing through his skin sent his mind reeling.

Dagon was strong. People were afraid of him. People feared him and this gave him power. No one could stand up to a storm. And Dagon was like that storm. Dagon was in control. Thorbjørn opposed him- faced the storm- but he had failed. Because no one can stand up to a storm.

The bear lumbered towards Dagon. He tried to scramble away but the bear raked its claws across his back.

Dagon screamed.

He could feel the blood dripping down his side.

The bear roared.

Dagon had never been strong. His powers wouldn't obey him. He couldn't control them. But he could control people. He created the illusion of control and people fell for it. He had fooled them into thinking he was unstoppable. He had deluded himself.

But the bear couldn't be fooled. It couldn't be stopped. Dagon had never been a storm but the bear was. The bear was a storm. And nobody can stand up to a storm. Dagon had lost everything. His control, his men, even fear was against him. He was going to die.

The bear slammed a paw into Dagon, sending him once again crashing across the ground.

_I tried to fix everything, I tried to be strong._

The bear let loose another roar.

_Not again. Why must this hunt me? I tried. _I tried!

He was going to die. And he would die an outlaw and a savage.

"Why can't you leave me alone? Why can't I just be free?" Dagon moaned.

Pain shot through him as the bear's claws dug into him.

_Ghost of the past._

Dagon's blood spilled onto the ground.

Red blood.

White snow.

It was coming back. All of it, relentlessly tearing at Dagon. And there was no escape.

Pain. Again, pain.

The memories he tried to hide from. To lock away. To fix. But Elsa had destroyed everything.

_What have you done, Dagon?_

_We aren't safe here._

_You saw what he did._

_Monster!_

_Do you want to build a snowman?_

_Run!_

_I tried to keep it from you. I'm so sorry._

_What wickedness is this?_

_Get away from her!_

_I'm not afraid of you anymore._

_Not afraid._

_Afraid._

Dagon screamed from pain. "_Are you going to hunt me?_" he shouted, "_all the way to hell?_"

The ground was frosted, frozen. The bear reared up.

Thirteen years ago.

Yesterday.

Now.

Death.

Dagon clutched at his head.

_Thump thump. Thump thump_

His heart pounded in his ears.

Death.

"No no no _no no!_"

Too late. He was too late.

"_Leave me alone!_

Dagon's powers exploded from him.

The bear's body fell to the ground.

Ice spread across the ground and Dagon rose to his feet.

The bear couldn't stand up to Dagon.

Nobody could stand up to Dagon.

Because Dagon _was_ the storm.


	18. Duel of Ice

**A/N **Here it is! the moment you've been waiting for!

Here it is! You know exactly what's in store!

I really doubt you're going to laugh henceforth!

Now's the time we crown the King of Snow!

King or queen. Let's not be sexist. But syllabary can only go so far. Of course since the protagonist is a she maybe the default should be queen? Or maybe it's best to stick as close to the original as possible. Am I rambling? Because I feel like I'm rambling.

But in all seriousness I'm back from my break. There will be three updates every week until the story is done from here on.

On that note this chapter contains violence. All within the boundaries of a T rating but just so as you can't say I didn't warn you...

But without further ado here's the part I'm pretty sure all of you have been looking forward too from the moment you found out that the villain also has ice powers, _Duel of Ice._

* * *

><p>Elsa watched as the bear's frozen body fell to the ground. Its fur was tarnished and its skin had split at several parts. It eyes were left open and dull. It hit the ground with a soft thud as the air around them turned frigid. The trees frosted and a layer of thin ice spread across the ground. In the center of it all Dagon stood up, his powers still flowing from his body. His eyes were glazed over and every muscle in his face was tense.<p>

"Run," Elsa said.

"What's going on?" Anna demanded.

"Run! all of you!"

"We can't just leave you behind!" Anna said.

"I'm perfectly fine with that," Hans said.

Jacob stared at the ice that was spreading around them. "Dagon has lost control..."

"Run," Elsa repeated. "You need to stay safe."

"What about you?"

Elsa looked back at Dagon. "I have to stop him."

"Elsa's right," Kristoff said. "We need to get out of here."

Elsa cast her gaze over those who surrounded her. Friends, enemies, snowmen and reindeer alike. "This all started with me," she said. "I should have never used my powers as a weapon. I let fear and doubt take control of me but it won't happen again. I'm the only one who can stop him right now and it's my duty and will to do so." A long speech considering at any moment Dagon could notice them. But for the time being he writhed about letting fly frozen shards about him. Elsa wasted another second to place a hand on her sister's arm. "I'll be fine."

"I just found you again," Anna said.

"And you'll find me once again as soon as this is all over. Now run, we've lost to much tome already."

The others turned and fled but Grand Pabbie lingered for a moment. "Don't let fear consume you. Dagon's powers were like an infant's compared to yours. But something sent them off the edge. He's gone completely power-crazy. To leave without anyone being hurt will be far from simple."

Elsa nodded and Grand Pabbie followed after the others as quickly as he could. Elsa closed her eyes briefly and turned to face Dagon. She walked forward. Wind and snow raged around her.

"You need to stop this, Dagon."

Dagon whipped around to face her. Blood dripped down him from the marks left behind from where the bear's claws had torn through him.

"Stay away from me!" Dagon yelled. "You can't stop me! No one can!"

The winds buffeted against Elsa but she fought onward. "Don't let your fear grow!" she shouted over the air rushing past.

The ground beneath Dagon's feat froze and he began to rise up off the ground on a pillar of ice. "Leave me! People have to die. And there is nothing _anyone_ can do to stop it!"

"No one has to get hurt Dagon! We can make things better!"

Dagon threw a bolt of ice at Elsa. It streaked past her, the force knocking her backwards.

Elsa got to her feet. "You don't have to be afraid!"

"No! _You_ must be afraid! This the end! Everything ends!"

Dagon sent a wall of ice ramming towards Elsa. She summoned a wall of her own to block the attack. Ice met ice with a thundering crash and frozen splinters went flying. Elsa shielded her face but the shards tore at her. Most of them left only scratches. But one was left lodged in her shoulder. Elsa yanked the ice out and threw it away. The injury was painful but far from fatal.

Elsa knew she had to stop Dagon before things got worse. He was completely mad. She had to save the others no matter the cost. And her powers were screaming to be let lose. So she let them.

The storm the swirled around grew into a raging blizzard, slamming against both of them. Dagon was knocked off-balance and Elsa took to opportunity to hurl a blast of ice at Dagon. Dagon regained his composure and poured his own powers into a counterattack. The two streams of frost met each other head-on sending ice crystals hailing all around them. Elsa gave her powers an extra push that shattered Dagon's attack, slamming into him and knocking him off the pillar. As her powers exploded a cloud of snow rose up around her, taking away almost all visibility. Elsa looked around, trying to make out shapes in the haze.

A frozen spear tore through the mist and straight at Elsa. She pulled her head away just as it cut past her. Her ears rang and more than one platinum hair fell to the ground. Dagon appeared from the haze and lunged at Elsa. Ice formed in his hand and took the shape of a dagger. He thrust his ice-weapon towards Elsa's stomach but she sent a blast of ice crashing into him, knocking him back into the haze.

_That was too close_, Elsa thought. She had survived but in turn had lost Dagon again. She needed to find him.

"I've come too far for you to stop me," came Dagon's voice.

Elsa whipped around and shot a shard of ice in the direction his voice had come from.

"I will make the wicked pay." Dagon's voice sounded strange now. Almost like an entirely different person. It came from a new direction and Elsa threw another shard of ice towards it.

_There's no way that he could move that fast. His voice must be resonating unevenly against the frozen surroundings._

Elsa began to walk in small circles, fingers splayed and eyes searching. A roar exploded around her and a huge shape rose up in the mist. A mass of snow charged out from the murk. Ice sprouted from its back and frozen horns jutted curved out from its head. Elsa turned and ran but the behemoth's gigantic strides carried it faster than she could run. It slammed a fist in the ground in front of her, cutting her off.

"My powers is evolving." Dagon's voice sounded as though it was coming from all directions at once.

The snow behemoth swiped at Elsa. She dived to the side but another hand grabbed her, pining her arms against her side. Elsa fought against the giant's grip as it lifted her from the ground. The behemoth roared. Elsa could see slushy snow churning inside its mouth. Its body was lumpy and parts of it were falling off altogether.

_It's entirely unstable. Dagon can't control his powers._ Elsa felt the air get pushed from her lungs as the behemoth squeezed her.

"_Moriere_," Dagon said.

Elsa was brought to a moment in her past. She sat with a slate in front of her with a tutor to her side. She was scratching away at the slate with a piece of chalk trying to keep up the tutor's words. She wrote of infinitive suffixes, plural endings and a hundred other things she couldn't remember. Latin. She was being taught Latin.

_Moriere__. Die._

As the behemoth's hand threatened to crush her one of its legs crumbled sending it off balance. As it stumbled the creature's grip loosened letting Elsa pull one of her arms loose. She Grabbed onto the behemoth's arm and froze it. Ice spread across its torso freezing it solid. Unable to support its own weight it collapsed to the ground. The snow that had made up its body crumbled and its frozen body shattered. Elsa crashed into the ground underneath a pile of slush. She broke a hand out from the snow and grabbed onto the ground, heaving the rest of herself out. Once free she leapt to her feet and looked around. The haze was beginning to clear and she could see the shape of Dagon walking towards her. He raised one hand to attack but Elsa moved faster. She lashed out throwing a bolt of ice at him. The shard met its target, slamming into his face. Dagon fell backwards, landing hard on the ground. After he fell the surrounding mist settled.

As the fog cleared Elsa could see Dagon clearly. He lay on the ground and his hair, pale before, was turning pure white. He clawed at the ground with his fingers, dragging himself to the chest which lay battered on the sidelines. He grabbed onto it, clutching it the lid. His shoulders shook and his skin was turning blue.

"Oh no," Elsa breathed. She dashed towards him. "Grand Pabbie! Anna!" she called.

From behind her she could hear the others rushing over.

"Are you alright?" Anna asked as she ran.

"I'm fine." Elsa lowered herself to Dagon. His eyes were closed and he didn't seem to be aware of what was going on around him.

"What happened here?" Jacob said in disbelief.

Grand Pabbie rolled over to Dagon's side and righted himself. He traced one hand over Dagon's face. "His head is frozen."

"It was an accident!" Elsa said. "You can help him right? Like you helped Anna?"

Grand Pabbie gave Dagon another look over. "It will not be easy," he said.

"I bet a warm hug will fix him right up," Olaf said.

"Hang on a minute here," Kristoff said. "Why are you acting worried about him? He nearly _killed_ us. Excuse me for not being sympathetic but I feel he had this coming to him."

"He's still a human being!" Elsa snapped. "I won't let anyone's death be on my hands."

Pabbie placed a hand on Dagon's head. "When I healed your sister I was forced to remove all of the magic from her, even her memories of it."

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Anna interjected.

"Not right now," Pabbie said. "To cure Dagon I would need to do much the same. But unlike Anna he has powers of his own. To remove the magic from him his own magic will need somewhere to go. I'll need a vessel to hold it."

"It has to be me," Elsa said. "I already have magic, I can handle it."

"Hold on there," Anna said. "So _maybe_ he's worth saving. But we have no idea how his magic could affect you. Are you really going to risk your own life for this?"

"When I fought Dagon I felt something tug at my soul. Like an inner voice trying to call out. Dagon's magic corrupted him. I want to understand his powers and my own. And this may be the only way to do that."

"I could try help him. But I can't be sure it will work. Anna was still young when I helped her. Her mind was still developing and the memories were easy to change. But Dagon's spent his whole life with his powers. To change that much of his memories would leave his mind all but destroyed."

"Are you sure that's a bad thing?" Kristoff said. "Alright I'll assume it's a bad thing," he added after seeing their reactions.

Anna rested a hand on Elsa's. "Are you sure about this?"

Elsa nodded. "Go ahead Grand Pappie."

"Don't worry," Kristoff said. "He's the best."

Anna said nothing as Pabbie reached into Dagon's mind. His power swirled above them in a sphere. Within it they could see Dagon's memories flowing. Grand Pabbie pulled away the power and eased the memories back into Dagon's head. It all looked like he was conducting an orchestra with the light obeying the movement of his hands. Elsa spread her arms apart and Pabbie eased the magic into her.

Elsa cringed as she felt the magic flow inside her. It grew aggressive, trying to force itself out of her, to freeze everything. Elsa heard her heartbeat pounding in her ears in a steady monotonous rhythm. She squeezed her arms around herself, trying to force the power down. She felt a hand on her shoulder and the heartbeat quieted and her power relaxed. She regained control.

"Are you okay?" Anna said squeezing Elsa's shoulder.

"I'm fine," Elsa said. She looked up and gave a smile. "I'm fine," she said again.

Dagon grabbed Elsa's leg. "You stole my power!"

Anna pulled Elsa away from his grip.

"Calm yourself," Grand Pabbie said. "You need to rest."

Dagon slammed his fist into the ground. "_I need to have power!_" he shouted.

"We just save your life!" Anna said. "You could at least be grateful!"

Dagon grabbed the chest and clung onto it. "I need power. I need my power to be strong like yours. I need to know how you thawed Anna's heart."

"Power didn't thaw Anna's heart," Elsa said. "Love did."

Dagon yanked at the lock on the chest. The battered wood cracked and he pulled it off. "Don't say that!" he yelled as he opened the chest. "That's not true!"

Dagon grabbed the frozen statue of a young girl that rested in the chest. "No one could have loved anyone more than I loved Kaja!" he sobbed.


	19. New Order

_Dagon blinked open his eyes at the sound of a young girl's whisper. He squeezed his eyes shut again hoping it would go away._

_"Wake up! wake up!"_

_No such luck._

_Dagon rolled over. "Go to bed Kaja," he mumbled._

_"C'mon Dagon! You know I can never sleep when the skies lit up."_

_"So you're awake. What do I have to do with that?"_

_"I want to play!"_

_Dagon groaned. "Go play by yourself."_

_The girl stood still for a moment before turning around. "Fine then I will. You can just sleep through the whole thing. What do I care? You never want to play anymore." She turned and ran to the door and dashed outside, slamming the door behind._

_Dagon watched his sister leave and felt a twinge of guilt. But he couldn't risk her finding out. Things had been getting worse lately and he wasn't sure if he could hold it back for much longer. Kaja would get over it. And in the meantime he couldn't let anyone get to close to him._

_The night grew quiet again and Dagon was able to doze off. But his res was once again interrupted when he heard the sound of his mother's voice coming from just outside his room._

_"You can't fight a bear by yourself Jacob!" he heard her cry.  
><em>

_Next he heard his father. "These last few winters have been too cold. The bear will be starving. It could kill our animals. I don't have any choice."_

_"You do have a choice. Just stay in here!"_

_Dagon got up and ran out of his room. He saw his mother holding a candle standing next to his father. His parents looked up at him._

_"Dagon you should-" his father started._

_"Bear?" Dagon interrupted._

_"Stay here son, I'll handle this."_

_Dagon ran past his father and grabbed his cloak from the wall._

_"Dagon wait," his mother said._

_Dagon ignored her and ran to the door. "Kaja's out there!"_

_"What? Kaja?" his father cried._

_Dagon dashed out the door pulling his cloak around his shoulders. As he ran outside he saw Kaja, wearing nothing but her pajamas, cowering beside the barn. A bear loomed over her. _

_"Kaja!" Dagon shouted as he ran towards her. The ground frosted over where he stepped._

_"Come back here!" his father yelled. Dagon barely even heard him. His only thought was to close the gap between himself and his sister._

_The bear swung a paw at Kaja and sent her sprawling._

_Dagon stooped over to snatch a stone off the ground and hurled it at the bear. "Get away from her!" he shouted._

_The rock bounced off the bear's head and it turned to face Dagon. When it saw him it let out a roar. Dagon's gaze fell to Kaja. She wasn't moving. The sky clouded over and snow began to fall as Dagon charged at the bear. He prayed that his sister would be alright. _

_Dagon's father stumbled backwards as the snow began to fall harder. "What the-?"_

_Dagon rammed into the bear. It didn't even flinch from the blow and swatted a paw at him. Its claws tore through Dagon's face leaving four long scratches. Dagon fell to the ground and the snow began to fall more intensely. He could see his blood dripping onto the ground, staining the white snow red._

_"Dagon!" his mother cried. She started to run towards him but his father grabbed her and held her back._

_"Stay back," he said. "We aren't safe here."_

_The bear lumbered towards Dagon as he lay cowering on the ground. Dagon looked at the bear and then back at Kaja's limp form._

_"No!" Dagon shouted. Frost shot out all around him. The blast slammed into the bear's paw and knocked it back. It let out a pained roar. The frost sliced across the ground and sank into Kaja's chest. The bear turned and to flee, limping on a now snow-white paw._

_Dagon ran to his sister. He fell to ground and grabbed her in his arms. "Kaja! say something! You have to say something!" Kaja's dark hair began to turn white. The wind whipped around, blowing Dagon's cloak as he cradled his sister in his arms._

_"What wickedness is this?" his father said._

_Dagon looked up at his father, eyes pleading. "I tried to keep it from you," he said. "I'm so sorry."_

_"Kaja!" his mother cried. His father grabbed her hand._

_"We need to leave," he said._

_His mother looked back to her children. "But-"_

_His father cut her off. "You saw what he did! We aren't safe here!" He tugged her hand and they took a few steps back._

_"No!" Dagon said. "It was, an-accid-" Dagon's vision blurred and he was unable to finish._

_Without another word Dagon's parents fled into the haze. Dagon was left sobbing as he watched his sister slowly turn to ice._

_"DON'T LEAVE ME!" Dagon shouted. His voice resonated though the night to be heard by none._

-x-X-x-

Tears streamed down Dagon's face as he hugged the frozen statue. "I tried to help her. I _loved _her. Don't say I didn't love her!"

Grand Pabbie placed a hand onto his shoulder. "We saw what happened," he said. "There was too much fear."

Elsa placed her hand on his other shoulder. "You've done bad things. You were trying to help her but would she have wanted this? You can only take it so far. You have to let go."  
>Dagon's arms loosened from around his sister.<p>

"You can make up for what you've done. Kaja can forgive you. I know she can. But right now me, Anna, and all of us need to get back to Arendelle."

"I'm so sorry," Dagon said.

"So this is it?" Kristoff said. "We're going home?" Less than an hour ago he had thought his life had come to an end. But now... home. The word sounded so sweet right now.

"The whole family's here!" Came Bulda's voice. Kristoff looked around to see the other trolls rolling over.

"Along with some strange-looking weirdoes," another said.

Hans slumped down. "I have to be crazy." His hand once again, and not for the last time, found their way to his temples.

"Who's this strapping young fellow?" Cliff asked.

Now Anna's hand found its place on her own face.

"He's Hans," Kristoff said.

"Oh dear," Bulda said. "Perhaps the full story would be in order."

"Look at them, they're hurt!" one of the trolls said. "We need to get them cleaned up before anything else."

Cliff nodded towards Hans. "So what's her ex doing here?"

"Please don't say call him that," Kristoff said. "It sounds too creepy."

"You look pale Kristoff, have you been eating right?"

"And washing?"

"C'mon! After what I've been through I think I can warrant a little bit of uncleanliness!"

Bulda shook her head. "Our Kristoff, always making excuses."

As Kristoff wrangled his adoptive family the other trolls busied themselves seeing to the others. Jacob stuck to himself and shook off anyone who came near. Hans straight-up refused to take their help. Elsa tried her best to assure them that she was fine but the true challenge came when she confronted her sister.

"Augh! You're bleeding!" Anna shrieked.

"I'm fine. Really," Elsa said.

Anna grabbed her sister and gave her a look-over. "What did that creep Dagon do to you?"

"He can hear you, you know. Right now we should try to calm his as much as we can."

"He's still a creep."

"Only time will tell."

Anna let out another scream.

"What is it this time?"

Anna ran a hand down Elsa's now ragged braid. "You hair! He _destroyed_ your hair!"

Elsa laughed. "I think my hair is a small sacrifice compared to what we've all been through. On that note how did Hans get involved in all this? Did he do _anything_ that made you feel at all-"

"You'll have to cut it _above your shoulders_ if you want it to even again!"

"Are you still talking about my hair?"

Anna seemed close to tears. "Your one beauty!"

Elsa's eyes narrowed. "My _one_ beauty?"

Anna coughed. "Did I say that? Because I didn't mean that. Did I say that?"

Olaf's head popped up between them "She said that."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did."

"Sorry to interrupted your heart-breaking conversation," Hans said coming up behind them. "But I helped save your sister. I fulfilled my part of the deal. Now it's your turn to uphold your end. I need to be back to the Southern Isle in less than a week."

"Hang on," Kristoff said. "I don't know what kind of deal you forced Anna into but you can at least wait for us to get back home."

"It's fine," Anna said. "A deal's a deal. C'mon."

Anna started to walk and motioned for Hans to follow.

Hans seemed surprised. "We're leaving just like that?"

"Sure, she isn't far."

"_Not far?_ Where exactly is this princess you speak of from?"

Anna just lead him onward before coming to a stop next to one of the rocks. She turned to face him.

"Hans, I want you to meet Princess Antonia, heir to the throne of the trolls." She gave a little flourish and the rock unfurled to reveal a female troll.

"Is it noon already?" she yawned.

"Tony?" Kristoff said.

Hans remained paralyzed for a few seconds before his composure shattered. "_A troll!_ You gave me your word that-"

"-I would introduce you to a single, and quite frankly desperate, princess. I never mentioned species or matrimony." Anna finished with a small curtsy.

Kristoff laughed out loud. "You promised to introduce him to _Tony?_" He wrapped an arm around Sven for support as his shoulders shook. Even Sven seemed to laugh.

Hans shook his fist. "You lousy, double-crossing cheat!" he yelled.

"Hey, once this is all over you can just go back to the Southern Isle and we'll never have to see each other again."

-x-X-x-

Jacob broke a heavy branch from a tee and leaned against it. "We should all head back now," he said.

Elsa walked up to him. "I think we need to talk about some of the choices I saw that you've made in the past."

Jacob met her gaze. "I promise that we will sort that out once we return to Arendelle. Right now I think we all have enough on our minds."

Dagon carefully placed the frozen form of Kaja back into the chest and closed the lid. "My men and I will help you get back."

"And we all get another happy ending," Olaf giggled.

Pabbie stepped over to Dagon. "Remember, but let go," he said.

"I will," Dagon said. "The only thing I can do right now is get you all back home. After that... what will come will come. I will answer for my crimes."

None of them said anything as they walked back. Behind them the trolls called out farewells, invitations to return, death wishes, and other pleasantries.

"Don't be strangers you here?" Bulda called.

A young troll popped up. "Grand Pabbie's birthday is coming up and he's going to be-"

"Quiet little one," Pabbie said. "No need to go about telling people that." He tried his best to hold back the child from saying something that sounded an awful lot like "a hun-" until they walked out of earshot.

Hans had yelled until his voice ran out and followed them sullenly. Jacob carried the branch over one shoulder and walked a bit behind the others. Kristoff and Sven had taken the lead with Olaf perched atop Sven's back. As they reached the edge of the trolls home they came to a stop. They had just passed through where the barrier had been but the area was empty.

"Where's Snake?" Dagon asked. "And the others?"

"Maybe they left us behind," Kristoff said looking around.

Jacob raised the branch up and hit Elsa in the back of the head with it. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell forward. Anna spun around but didn't even have enough time to call out before she was cut off by the sound of arrows whizzing through the air. They buried themselves into the ground and one of them cut past Dagon's leg making him fall to the ground. Snake jumped down from the trees above them followed by two other men.

"Endgame," Snake said as more and more members of the Army of the Wastes emerged around them.

Before anyone could resist Snake's men had Elsa, Kristoff, Anna, Dagon, Hans, even Olaf and Sven, bound with ropes.

"There's a new order," Snake said jabbing his thumb at himself. "_My_ order."


	20. In Control

Anna had hoped that she'd seen the last of the cramped cell when she had escaped. But she found herself once again inside it with her hands tied behind her back. Kristoff, Dagon and Hans were also tied. Beside her Elsa was bound with a new set of metal cuffs around her hand, blocking her use of magic.

The slot in the door slid open and Jacob peered through. "I'm going to guess you have some things you would want to say to me," he said.

"Yes, but most of it is inappropriate to say in the presence of royalty," Kristoff said.

"Snake Isn't going to share power," Elsa said. "You know that right?"

Jacob laughed. "Do you think that's what this is? Some half-hearted attempt to seize the throne? I know Snake has no plans of doing a thing for me."

"Then why _are_ you doing this?" Anna said.

Jacob's eyes narrowed. "Justice," he said. "When I discovered my son had the dark powers me and my wife fled. He had killed my daughter and we had been powerless to stop him. The only thing we could do was seek refuge in Arendelle.

"All was well for many years. But then just a few months ago a ghost of the past returned. Just after I had gained a position as emissary I discovered that the queen herself had powers. Greater powers even the what my son had had. The people were blind. Only I knew the true evil that was magic's nature. They could bring nothing but pain and fear. I needed to get rid of you, to protect Arendelle, and all the people who lived there."

"You're crazy!" Anna shouted. "Elsa's not dangerous!"

Jacob brushed her off and kept going. "But a ray of hope appeared. A long shot that would allow me to fix everything. I had gained word that my son had joined a group of bandits know as the Army of the Wastes. A plan formed itself around this and I sent word to him that would lead him to believe that the queen of Arendelle held the secrets to his powers. It was easy to convince him. No one could have gone without hearing of the eternal winter that she had created. I daresay that was even why he joined the Army of the Wastes in the first place.

"But I knew a war in Arendelle would leave us devastated. I needed to _protect_ the people, not destroy them. And if Dagon made it to Arendelle he would undoubtedly lose. So I forced the Queen out of hiding. I lead her to meet them head-on. And I planted the seed of doubt in her mind. A doubt that would lead to her downfall.

"My plan had been simple at first. Have you be captured and rid the world of two sorcerers at once. But I needed Snake's help to make my plan work. Snake and I conspired together and made a deal. And it was through him that I spread rumors to the Army of the Wastes.

"When Kristoff and Anna made their pitiful attempt at escape it opened up another window of opportunity for me. Snake wasted no time in seeking me out and we were able to further adapt our plans. Our opportunity arose when Dagon stupidly left himself defenseless. He walked straight into what could only be a trap. Snake knew he wouldn't walk out of there. So he planted an ambush. And as an emissary, reading actions is my job. I knew that Elsa was unstoppable. Her ice powers make her invulnerable to anything. But no one is without weakness. Hers came from her being human. As a human a simple attack from behind leaves her with no time to react. And as a human having her dearly beloved sister captive renders her powerless.

"That was how our deal went. He would stop this plague called magic and in return I would hand him the queen of Arendelle on a silver platter. It was just a matter of his good fortune to get a prince of the Southern Isle as well. I have done my part. I don't care what Snake does now."

"But Dagon's your own son! And he doesn't have power anymore. You saw it leave him," Elsa said.

"I don't know how your magic works. Just that it needs to be stopped. And once this is all over I'll just have to make another stop north. Those trolls cannot bring any more good than you can."

"You can't trap Elsa," Kristoff said. "She can escape any imprisonment you try to hold her with."

"You're right," Jacob said. "I am powerless. But _he _isn't."

Jacob's eyes left the slot in the door and it swung open. Once it had Snake strode in. Before he had been hunched over and he had kept his face down. But now he walked tall with his head held up.

"What did you do with Sven?!" Kristoff said.

"I presume you're talking of that reindeer you had. Or perhaps the snowman? But don't worry. They're safe. I'm not careless. I save my cards so as that I can use them when I need too. I must say I find it strange that you would care for such creatures but as long as you do they are of use to me."

"My brothers will rip you to shreds," Hans said. "I don't care about any of these people."

Snake walked over and stood in front of Hans, casting his gaze down on the prince. "You are powerless. You can do nothing to stop me. All you are is a weapon. No matter how much your brothers may hate you they still cannot stand up to the one who holds their prince captive. Especially once I have all of Arendelle's resources.

"I won't let you touch Arendelle!" Elsa said.

This was too much for Snake and he threw is head back and laughed. "I already _own_ Arendelle. There army is depleted, their forces week. I have their queen and their princess. I even have your emissary's little troop of men!" Snake bent low, coming face to face with Elsa and pulled out a knife. "I own your kingdom. All I need to do is waltz up to the gates and let myself in."

A thin sheet of ice began to creep up Elsa's shackles.

"I would keep your powers under control if I were you. Otherwise something might happen to Anna. Or maybe that little snowman of yours will find his way into a fire somewhere. I'd bet he'd be smiling and laughed all the way until the last drops of water disappeared into steam."

Elsa's head drooped. The muscles in her face tensed and the ice slowly retracted from the shackles.

Snake licked the flat of the blade. "I hold all that you love in the palm of my hand. You are powerless." Snake pressed the knife against the bottom of Elsa's chin and forced her head up. "I am in control. I have already won. The only things left to do are to take over Arendelle, then the Southern Isle, then anywhere else I want to. And there is nothing, nothing, you or anyone else can do to stop me." Snake stood up and walked to the door.

"Enjoy the ride," he said as he left.

-x-X-x-

Snake stepped out of the wagon and allowed himself a wide grin. He'd spent all of his life waiting in the shadows. The shadow of his brother, the shadow of Dagon. But always a shadow. And finally, after this lifetime of fading in the background he had gotten his chance. He had waited for so long and all of his patience had finally paid off. Soon Arendelle would be his for the taking. But he wouldn't stop there. Once he had secured his spot in the throne he would be unstoppable. And his spot in the throne had already been secured.

Snake had a plan for the prisoners, oh yes. He had a plan. Well, the reindeer was a bit of a head-scratcher. Strange as it was they seemed to have an actual attachment to it. This made it useful but after he no longer needed it Snake was at a loss. They had tried at first to use it to help pull one of the wagons but it completely refused to budge no matter what they did. Right now it was hog-tied inside of one of the wagons just taking up space. And once Snake was king he would have better things to eat than a scruffy reindeer. But the bigger problem was the snowman. A wild card. Harmless but it was something Snake couldn't understand. It was made of snow but it _lived_. What sort of creature was it? It was unnatural. It was unpredictable. It was clinging to his leg.

"Let them go! Let them go! Let them go! Let them..." the damn snowman had grabbed onto Snake's leg and just wouldn't _shut up_. Snake tried to walk despite it clinging to him but the dead weight soon grew annoying.

"Get the hell off me!" Snake shouted shaking his leg.

"Let them go! Let them go!" the snowman continued.

"Shut up! I'm not going to let them go!"

"Let them go! Let them go! Let them..."

Snake tried to zone out the thing's voice as he forced his leg forward and took another step. There had been a box somewhere hadn't there?

"Let them go! Let them go!"

There had to be somewhere he could put it.

"Let them go! Let them go!"

In the end Snake kicked him off and threw him into a supply-carrying wagon but he could still hear it banging against the door shouting "let them go! Let them go!" over and over.

-x-X-x-

Anna yanked at her binds. "You can get out of here can't you?" she said to Elsa.

"I can't. Dagon's power is still raw within me. I can't guarantee that anything I do wouldn't freeze all of you. Even if I could do something Snake would only hurt someone."

Dagon shook his head. "No matter what I do I always end up bringing misfortune to this world."

"Then forget about us!" Anna gave her binds another tug. "You have enough power to get away!"

"Please be quiet Anna. There is nothing that I can do."

"So we're just going to sit here and let Snake take over our home? We have to try _something_."

"Look Anna, I just can't. Please stop talking."

"She never stops talking!" Hans said. "If it wasn't for her big mouth I wouldn't be sitting here right now!"

"Just shut up already," Kristoff said.

"Don't tell me to shut up! Maybe you're fine with this if it means that your 'special someone's' are safe but I have plans for _my _life!"

"You can't act like you're better than us because you don't care about people!" Anna said.

Hans made a sound that one might expect to hear from an angry dog. "_How stupid are you?_ Do you really think that Snake will let you live if you go with what he says? You're dead already! Dead! Snake is going to kill us _all_ no matter what you do! You act all high-and-mighty because you don't want to hurt others but they'll be hurt anyway! All you care about is not feeling guilty! You don't want the blood to be on your own hands so as that you can pretend that you tried your best! That isn't nobility! it's just plain _stupid!_"

"I don't know for a fact that Snake will kill us," Elsa said. "I have to gamble on that chance."

"What does it take to make you see? You _have_ to try to get me out of here!"

"What makes you think she'd try to help _you?_" Anna said.

"It doesn't matter," Dagon said. "There is no way out for us now."

"Don't say that!" Anna said. "There is _always_ a way out. We just have to find it. I didn't give up even when my heart was frozen and could barely even walk. And I'm not giving up now!" But try as she might Anna couldn't think of a way to stop Snake. For the first time she had no idea what to do. And Snake's arrival at Arendelle drew closer all the time.


	21. Close the Gates

**A/N **The story is drawing to a close and I'd like to thank all those who've read, reviewed, followed, and favorited.

The next chapter will be the second-to-last. I'll catch you then!

* * *

><p>Kai sat at his desk and kneaded his brow with one hand. Too long. Queen Elsa had been gone for too long. What had she told him to do if she didn't return? He had waited hoping that she might just be a little late. But he knew she would return.<p>

_"If we don't return within three days you'll have to prepare Arendelle for the worst."_

Three days. It had been more than twice that. Kai new that every second that passed after the three-day mark put them all in danger but he refused to give up on the queen. Elsa's instructions had been clear. He was to cover for her absence. But should she not return...

_"If neither Anna nor I return than I give you the authority to appoint a new ruler for Arendelle."_

Kai looked at the legal document that rested at the side of his elbow. The document gave him the legal right to decide the fate of the country as of more than three days past. He had tried to get her to reconsider. Surely there were people more qualified than he.

_"Right now I trust you more than anyone else in the castle. I know that you can do it."_

According to her instructions he had waited much, much too long already. But he kept hoping she would come back. He had waited for as long as he could.

_"Do you truly think there is a chance you might not return?"_ he had asked. She hadn't responded.

Kai rolled the document up and rose to his feat. He walked to the door; it was time to tell them. He left the room and quickly made his way through the hall in the palace. He stopped when he came to a large double-door that lead to the council room. He had postponed and delayed for as long as he could. But he could no longer. He opened the doors and walked into the room. With the curtains drawn the room's full splendor was shone. For the first time Kai didn't waste so much as a moment to admire the room's glory. Instead he walked straight to the head of the table. At it rested the ornate chair that Elsa had sat in. At first Elsa had wanted to remove it in favor of a much plainer one but Kai had been able to convince her otherwise. It still felt like a taboo for Kai to actually _sit _in the chair so he instead stood beside it and waited. He didn't have to wait long. Soon the council of ministers, secretaries, and representatives were lead in. All of them sat immediately at their seats according to previous assignment, each with a staff member at their side. Over the last few months the staff had grown exponentially and Kai had trouble naming all of them. Only two seat where empty. One was the queens and the others was Jacob's. Jacob was one of the newer members but Kai had been told that he too would be absent This extra bit of attention made it easy for Kai remembering him.

Kai had delayed the reveal for as long as he could. But the day had come when he could no longer avoid it. He waited a moment for all those attending to look his way. No one knew why Elsa, who was usually so prompt, had not yet been seated. Even some the staff members looked confused.

_"She has a headache I'm afraid."_

_"Terribly sorry but the queen is indisposed right now."_

_"She said she would see no one for the rest of the day."_

All lies he had told to duck suspicion. To carry him to this moment. And now the time had finally come. Kai cleared his throat. "Queen Elsa shall not be joining us for this meeting."

The man to his right, a senior member who Kai had never much liked named Gunnar stood up. "What do you mean she isn't attending?" As he spoke a collective murmur rose amongst those at the table.

"Please remain seated," Kai said. "Several days ago Jacob, our emissary to the southern reaches, arrived with dire news for Queen Elsa. I have no doubt that most of you have at least heard rumors of this."

Again a murmur spread over the room.

"Thereafter Elsa left Arendelle along with her sister and Jacob to address the matters presented by the emissary."

Another person stood up. "What do you mean to say by this?" she demanded.

"He said remain seated," Gunnar said.

"But she proposes a valid point," said one of the newer members. A somewhat loud woman by the name of Margrete. Kai had learned her name right away.

Rather than respond Kai unrolled the parchment that held Elsa's final declaration. He cleared his throat and began to read.

"_As of the fifteenth of this month I, Elsa, Queen of Arendelle, shall depart with my sister, Anna. I have been informed of a danger that threatens my kingdom along with its population, whom I love dearly. I leave with the intentions of stopping the approaching threat myself in order to assure the safety of the people. If by three days or greater hence I do not return I bestow Kia, who has served the crown loyally for more than two decades, the authority to make further executive decisions for Arendelle. If both myself and Anna are confirmed to be dead, or fail to return for a further three weeks, I trust Kia to appoint a member of the council to take my place."_

Kia set the document onto the table.

"This is outrageous!" someone shouted.

"She gave _you_ this power?" Gunnar exclaimed. "You're just a _staff member!_ I'm the most senior council member! _I_ should be the one to take on this role!"

"Don't question the queen's word!" Margrete countered.

"How could she have acted so foolishly!" another yelled.

"How do we _know_ this is real? Prove that this isn't some attempt at stealing the throne!"

Kai was trying to keep his temper. With all the absurd things these hooligans were spouting it wasn't easy.

"This document is entirely legal." Kai slid it further down the table to display Elsa' name signed at the bottom alongside notarizations. "I have no desire to take Elsa's place and I refuse to accept that she shall not return. I have waited for as long as I could, praying for her return. But she is yet to and I have begun to fear for Arendelle-" he stopped short as Gerda hurriedly entered the room.

She spoke between pants of breath without pausing to excuse her intrusion. "A group of fully armed war wagons have been reported to be approaching the gates of Arendelle. I've been told that they hold Queen Elsa as prisoner."

Without thinking twice Kai left the council behind and ran to the door.

"Close the gates!" were his parting words.

-x-X-x-

Kai began to regret having not spent more time exercising as he scaled the steps that lead above the gates. Ge was glad that he least able to out speed the council members who had followed him. As he rounded a landing he heard the boom as the gates slammed shut. Kai had stared at the gates' closed for thirteen years. He had hoped that he wouldn't have to see them as such ever again. But stopping whoever it was who invaded was what was the most important thing.

Kai made it to the top and ran to the large rounded window, the others close behind. From it he could clearly see and be seen. In front of the gates was a group of war wagons. Not a soul was seen in the town as people hid in their homes. Around the wagons were a circle of guards. But they couldn't budge. Not an inch. For in the center of the wagons stood an armored man with ropey black hair. Beside him was Queen Elsa. Her hands were bound behind her back and her mouth was gagged. The man walked around her with a sword drawn. Elsa stood rigid with her eyes fixed straight ahead.

"So these are the great gates of Arendelle!" the man shouted. "So frail a lock it is that keeps you safe!"

"Who are you who holds our queen hostage?" Kai shouted down trying desperately to keep the fear from his voice.

"We are the Army of the Wastes! I am Snake! ruler of the barren realm! Kjetil of the deadly blade! Conqueror of lands!"

Snake held his sword to Elsa's throat as he walked around her."And now I am supreme ruler of Arendelle!"

"We'll never allow this!" shouted one of the guards.

Snake glared at the young guard. "Drop your arms and concede!"

"Hold your position!" Gunnar called from behind Kai. Kai shot him a glare but didn't say anything. For more than two decades his purpose had been simple. Serve and protect Elsa. He was powerless to stop this man, this Snake.

Snake leaned close to Elsa and muttered something into her ear. Elsa' stoic face became distraught and he pulled the gag from around her mouth.

"Do as he says," Elsa called.

"She's so stupid!" Gunnar banned his fist against the wall.

"We can't let her die," Margrete countered.

Kai said nothing as the guards dropped their weapons. Men emerged from the war wagons and gathered them, piling them beside Snake.

Snake slowly drew his sword across Elsa's cheek. A thin line of read followed behind it and a trickle of blood dripped down her face.

"I am the new king of this country!" Snake shouted. "Open the gates!"


	22. Fire

**A/N** Here we go. Enjoy the climax.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for the final chapter. Plus a little extra surprise I've cooked up.

* * *

><p>"I rather like this chair," Snake said as his prisoners were lead in. He sat in the ornate chair at the head of the council table. His elbow rested on one arm and his leg was draped over the other. He leaned with his cheek resting on his fist. Kai stood in the corner. A look of deep-seated fear was cast across his face.<p>

"You can't sit there!" Anna said struggling vainly to free her hands from behind her back.

"You can always find something to complain about can't you?" Snake said lazily.

"Complain about? You think I'm _complaining?_ That's Elsa's spot and you can't sit there just because you feel like it you dirty rotten-"

"Anna, stop," Elsa said.

"But I can't just let him-"

Snake sat up. "You can't let me? Well _let me_ remind you how things work around here." Snake jerked a thumb at Kristoff. "Hurt him."

Anna eyes widened. "No!" she shouted.

"Too late," Snake said.

One of Snake's men threw Kristoff onto the ground and kicked him into the wall. Anna tried to run to him but Bron grabbed her arm. Kristoff tried to get to his feet but another kick sent him back onto the ground.

"That's enough," Snake said. "You can let him live. I have a much better plan for him. For _all_ of you."

Once the man pulled back Kristoff pulled himself off the floor.

Hans glared at Snake. "What do you plan to do with me you filthy-" Snake cut him off by raising a finger.

"Stop there." Snake stood up. "I know cease to find you pathetic comments amusing. What will it take to knock that bravado out of you? Do I need to kill someone?"

"No, don't," Dagon said. He was barely able to stand and was being held up by Tusk.

Snake let out a laugh. "So now you squeak up? And what's this? You almost sound like you _care_ about something." He walked over to Dagon. Snake's expression flickered and he punched Dagon in the stomach. "I've wanted to do that for so long." Snake began to pace around Dagon. "You know you can't fool anyone. No one buys that you're anything more than a detestable scumbag. You've spent your time hurting people, killing even. Do you think they'll just forget? Well people have a tendency to not forget things. I remember everything. I remember the day you killed my brother, Thorbjørn." Snake stopped in front of Dagon and looked him in the eye. "My brother wasn't just the leader of our little group. He was also the most feared bounty hunter in the land. He was called the Assassin of the Thirteen Blades. There was no one he couldn't kill if the price was right. But you beat him like it was nothing. You _froze_ him." Snake snapped his fingers. "It was over like that. Sure he didn't fall right away, he tried to put up a fight. But in the end he couldn't stand up to you. So I ask you-" Snake punched Dagon in again. "-How does it feel?"

Dagon clutched at his stomach but remained silent. Snake drove his fist into him again. "I asked you a question!"

Dagon remained silent. Snake turned around and walked to an ornate chest that sat on the council table.

"This was your most prized possession wasn't it?" he opened the lid and pulled out the frozen statue of Dagon's sister. "How pathetic." He dropped it onto the ground.

"Stop!" Dagon shouted.

"I seem to have hit a sensitive spot," Snake said.

"You can't just waltz in and take over a kingdom," Dagon said. "The people will never follow you."

Snake laughed. "But the people _will_ follow me. Because they will fear me. Right now have all of Arendelle's guards imprisoned. Even those pathetic soldiers you captured. And the council will be joining them soon. Right now the only one who can stop me are in the room and completely hopeless. Slaves to this thing they call 'love'. But you will find that real people are selfish. If they are afraid they will do anything to save their own pathetic lives. I will make myself the supreme ruler of Arendelle with fear. A fear born when all of you, Arendelle's most respected and valued, swear fealty to my rule."

"We'll never do that!" Anna yelled.

Snake waved a hand at Bron. "Take them to the little surprise that I've set up."

Bron hesitated for a moment before nodding. They grabbed the prisoners and started to lead them out. Anna struggled against their grip but she caught a glimpse of Kristoff limping. She lowered her head and let them lead her away.

Snake turned to Kai who still stood in the corner. "You don't look busy," Snake said. "Why don't you go and gather all of the people into the courtyard. I have a little announcement to make."

-x-X-x-

Elsa walked down the long hallway in deathly silence. The others were being lead in front of her and behind a group of men kept her moving. With every footfall Elsa left an icy trail behind. She tried to contain it, to force her powers down. She was afraid the even this slight exertion would endanger Anna and the others. But Elsa had to strain just to keep her powers from freezing everyone in the hallway. Dagon's powers still bubbled within her and she fought to keep them under control. Even when she was having trouble with her own powers they were still always an extension of her own will. But Dagon's seemed to be more violent, like they were ready to jump out and hurt anyone or anything. Should her willpower weaken Elsa couldn't even guarantee that she would refrain from hurting Anna. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears with a steady, mutinous rhythm.

Elsa glanced ahead to see a flickering light ahead of them. She knew castle's every twist and turn and so she knew exactly where they were heading. Just ahead of them, at the end of the hallway, was the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. And the closer they drew to the end of the hall the brighter the flickering light grew. But it wasn't until the Army of the Wastes lead them out onto the balcony itself that Elsa saw what cast the light. For beneath the balcony burned a great fire. At the base men from the Army of the Wastes made themselves busy feeding the fire. Partly with scraps of wood and logs but Elsa saw more than one piece of furniture be tossed into the raging flames. The courtyard and balcony were both bathed in a red light the cast heavy shadows across all those around it. And there was the heat. The sweltering heat that rose up from beneath them.

Elsa had never been bothered by the cold. But the heat that pummeled her from below made her want to cry out from pain. It was torturous, it burned at her, it was _hot_. Around her the others were sweat from it but for Elsa she may as well have been in the fire for the pain it was causing her. Anna caught Elsa's anguish out of the corner of her eye and broke away from her guard to go to her sister's side.

"Are you okay?" she said.

Before Elsa could open her mouth to lie to Anna the man pulled her away. "We'll have none of that," he said.

Anna fought against the man's grip. "She's in _pain_ I have to see her!"

The man glanced at Elsa before shaking his head. "I don't think Snake much cares that she's in pain."

"Forget about Snake!" Anna said. "Elsa needs me!"

"I'm fine," Elsa said.

"No you're not!" Anna made another break but the man's hand planted itself in her shoulder.

"Stay put," he said.

"That's right," came Snake's voice from behind them. "I want you all unmoving and on your knees."

Anna shot Snake her best glare, which may not be much but coming from Anna was pretty impressive. "What makes you think we'll do that?"

Snake just shrugged and the man slammed both hands down on her shoulders forcing her down. A pair of hands grabbed Elsa and she allowed her knees to buckle beneath her. The man let out a shriek and jumped back. The skin on the palms of his hand had turned black.

"What the hell does she think she's-"

"Enough Bron," Snake said. "It's just a flesh wound. She will get her due punishment when the time comes." Snake pulled out his sword slid the blade under Elsa's chin. He slowly lifter forcing her head up. "But all the same I don't want you trying anything like that again, do you understand?"

Elsa couldn't open her mouth but she managed a slight nod of the head. Snake found this satisfying, funny even, and withdrew the sword.

"Now," he said. "Let's get thing's fired up."

-x-X-x-

Kai had seen things bad before. But standing at the foot of the balcony, flames raging beside him, and the population of the village gathering around, he felt a cold dread like none other he had ever known. Above him he saw Elsa; Anna; and even that ice harvester, Kristoff his name was, being held above the inferno. And he feared that he may not see Elsa ever walk off of that gateway to hell. This vile monster, this Snake, held her life ransom. And leaving one's most powerful adversary alive was never a good idea. There was no way Snake would let her live. He watched helplessly as Anna was lead to the edge of the balcony, where the sides had been removed, leaving nothing between the princess and her end.

-x-X-x-

Snake stood overlooking the people from his perch on the balcony. Around him were his prisoners, bound and on their knees. Even the Dagon's oh-so-precious chest was there. It was time to show the people down below who was in control. Anna now stood at the edge of the balcony. her hands were tied behind her back and her hair blew in the bitter wind.

Snake walked around Anna and let his voice be heard by all. "I stand here as the new ruler of this kingdom, lord of this realm. You stand at the brink of the abyss. I hold you life in the balance. I demand you swear fealty to my rule!"

"I do not swear it," Anna said.

_This one's impertinence is truly trying my patience._ "You stand with no one beside you. I have won and history shall be written as I tell it. Your morals do not exist! Swear fealty to me and submit to my rule!"

Anna fixed her gaze straight ahead. "I will not swear it. You are not the king."

Snake pulled Dagon's chest open and yanked out the frozen statue of a young girl. "This is loyalty to one's beliefs! This is what comes from you meager understanding of right and wrong!" Snake kicked the statue and sent it teetering at the edge of the balcony. "Your stubborn 'nobility' will not only kill you but your sister as well. What does your high-and-mighty code say about letting those you love die?"

-x-X-x-

Kristoff struggled against his binds. Anna was going to get herself killed. He had to stop her. Some way, any way. He glanced over at Elsa. Her knees were drawn up and her head hung.

"You have to save her!" Kristoff said to her.

"I can't" she replied.

"She could _die_," Kristoff hissed.

Elsa's head whipped up and she shot him a glare. "Do you think I don't _know_ that? If I use my powers I could kill us all! Anna might still have a chance if she just gives in to Snake!"

Kristoff gave an aggravated grunt. He yanked at his binds. He felt completely powerless and the cold dread that he might actually lose Anna seeped through his body. He couldn't let her die. Not again. But there was nothing he could do.

-x-X-x-

Snake stood above Elsa and raised his sword into the air and brought it down, cutting through Elsa's binds. "Get up," he said kicking her.

Elsa stood and Snake led her to the edge of the balcony next to Anna.

Below them the people became a mass of frozen shock, panic and terror as their two monarchs were both facing the relentless flames beneath them.

"What about you? _ex-queen_ Elsa? I hold your sister's life in my hands. Do you bow to me?"

Elsa turned to face Snake and knelt before him.

"Elsa no!" Anna cried.

"I have no choice," Elsa said.

Snake laughed. "See? even your queen bows before me! My word is the only word! What I say is law! But even Arendelle is just the beginning. I rule not only this land but the Southern Isle as well! I am the highest point! Any kingdom I choose is mine to rule!"

Snake grabbed Anna and spun her around, gripping her collar.

"You believe that this world is divided into good and evil. But there are no such boundaries. It matters not which of north or south is righteous, which of east or west is wicked. Power is the only force in this world and _I_ am the one who holds power! I am not a monster! I'm not even a king! I am a _god!_ Fall to your knees and swear fealty to me!"

Anna stared downward. Then, slowly, she lifted her head. "You're right," she said. A smile spread across Snake's face but Anna continued. "The world is not a thing that is 'good' or 'evil'. The world isn't even a realm. The world is a place and a people. No one person is or can be omnipotent. The people will always have a choice. I will not swear fealty to you."

Snake swung his fist at Anna but stopped mid-motion at the sound of Dagon's voice behind him.

"She's right."

Snake whipped around to see Dagon rising to his feet.

"Life isn't something that can be owned. I see that now. Everyone has a time and a place where they belong. But more importantly people have a choice. And no one can take that choice away from them. Sometimes people make bad choices, I've made more than I can count, but now I know I can fix what I've done. I _still_ have a choice, to decide who I am."

"Silence!" Sane shouted. "You can say that you are right and I am wrong, you can say _anything!_ But you can't talk your way out of death!" Snake slammed his hands into Anna and thrust her off the edge of the balcony , sending her plummeting towards the flames below.

"No!" Elsa shouted. Ice erupted from the ground and rocketed up to catch Anna. She landed hard on the ice but she was spared the flames.

Snake slammed his fist into Elsa and sent her sprawling on the edge of the balcony. "No one can cheat death! And I am the one who passes judgment to decide who shall die! _I, Snake!_ Swear fealty to me!"

"She's not going to swear it," Jacob said.

Snake whipped around to see Jacob standing behind him. Tusk and Bron also stood on either side of him.

"We used to be like brothers," Tusk said. "What happened to that?"

Elsa stood up and lifted Anna back onto the balcony with her ice. "Kings and queens aren't gods," Elsa said with her back to Snake as she set Anna down. "They have to look after the people. Power is only as strong as those who support it."

Snake pointed his sword at Elsa. "You are wrong! Power is the greatest force in the world. Those who have it need no one!"

"But if you have no one than you have no power. Look around you." Elsa turned to face Snake. "Do your subjects seem to like your rule?"

Snake's eyes darted around. The crowd below didn't look scared. They were joining together. Shouting things. Calling for Elsa and crying out against Snake.

Snake lashed forward and grabbed Elsa. He twisted her arms behind her back and pressed his sword against her throat. "Power belongs to the strong!" he forced the blade against her skin. "Death belongs to the weak! I shall prove my rule!"

"Let go of her!" Anna shouted.

"No one can stop me! No one! especially not a pathetic witch!"

The ground beneath Elsa began to freeze and her eyes were wide with terror.

"Hurting people will never help!" Kristoff shouted. "It only causes more fear and pain!"

"Death is the only fate of those who stand against me!" Snake roared. "I shall-" Snake was cut off by the sound of his own scream. His sword was covered with ice and his arms began to freeze. Snake leapt back, dropping Elsa as he swung his arms madly trying to shake off the ice that spread across him.

Elsa fell to the ground and looked up to Snake. "I'm sorry," she said. "I couldn't control it..."

Snake stumbled back as ice began to cover his body. "Damn you! Damn you to _hell_ witch! _You can't stop me. I am-_" he was unable to continue as his mouth froze over. He took another step back and his foot slid off the edge of the balcony. He fell backwards and plummeted down into the relentless flames beneath.

Elsa stared down into the fire. The people fell quiet as they collectively looked at the flames. Slowly a cheer spread out amongst them. But Elsa let out not a sound as she sat unmoving. She looked up when Anna walked over to her. "Are you okay?" Anna said

"I'm fine" Elsa said as Anna helped her up.

Tusk and Bron fell to their knees. Around them the other members of the Army of the Wastes sagged or fell back, unsure of what to do.

"Snake - no, Kjetil - he, he didn't used to be like this," Bron said. "What happened?"

Dagon knelt down and placed his hands on their shoulders. "Snake cared only about power. You have to let go of him. It isn't easy but you can always try to do better."

Jacob put a hand on Dagon's back. "I was wrong to have judged you."

"I've made bad choice and now I have to live with them," Dagon said. "But as long as you hold love in your heart you can always make up for what you've done." Dagon looked up at his father. "How has mom been?"

"She's fine," Jacob said. "She's doing fine."

Dagon stood up. "I have a lot to do to make up for my past. But there's no better time to start than now." Dagon then found a love in his heart that he would have never thought possible. A love for the whole world, and for all of the people. He wanted to right his wrongs, to make the world a better place. To come to terms with his past. He slowly walked over to the statue of his sister. He picked her up and gazed at her features.

"I'm all better now," he said. "You always wanted what was best for the world. I just lost sight of what really mattered. I can love again, I can forgive. I hope that they can do the same. And you too, I hope that you can forgive me. I love you and I want you to know that you will always be with me." Dagon hugged her. "If you can see me from in heaven I want you to know that I can live my life now. I can make those who are around me happier."

Dagon felt a twinge of warmth. He looked down at the small statue and saw color begin to spread throughout her body. And for the first time in thirteen years he saw her face.

"Dagon?" she said.

Dagon gaped in disbelief. "K-Kaja?"

Kaja gazed back at him, her eyes still half-closed. "What happened? You look different. You've- changed."

Tears welled up in Dagon's eyes. "Yes," he said squeezing her. "I've changed."

Anna slid her arm into Kristoff's.

"Who'd have thought we'd see Dagon like that?" Kristoff said with a sniffle.

"I don't know," Anna said. She then added, "kids are so cute."

"Sure are," Kristoff said.

"Come on," Elsa said. "Let's make sure everyone's alright."

As they made their way down Kai and Gerda made their way up. The quickly set to work seeing to the people and freeing all those who had been imprisoned. The Army of the Wastes stood still dumbfounded. Not just at what had happened but at that Elsa wasn't killing them, locking them up, or any other of a thousand terrible things they might have expected. Some even helped them. But as they set to work Elsa new that for the moment, however briefly, all was right in Arendelle.

* * *

><p><strong>AN** Not the end. Remember, there's one more chapter.

Thanks to those who have supported me to this point. Stay tuned.


	23. Snow

**A/N** So here it is, the end of my story. Special thanks to my lovely reviewers Shawn Raven, blueskydog, meandtheboys, Pabulover123, Shadowfax321, Lost Lauren, Lorely9, Indy Girl89, StardustRose22, and Shawn Raven.

For an extended list of those to whom I give thanks please fast-forward to the end credits of Frozen. Boy I just dated myself with "fast-forward".

* * *

><p>Anna sat waiting on the stone railing just outside the castle gates. Facing outward towards the fjord her eyes where fixed on a large ship that was docked a little ways from the walls themselves.<p>

"So, how are things coming along here?" Kristoff said. He and Sven walked over to Anna. Around them a light flurry had started.

"Kristoff! You're back!" Anna leapt up and grabbed him in a quick hug. "How were the trolls?"

Kristoff returned the embrace. His arms slipped off from around her as he started to talk. "They were fine, I told Grand Pabbie what happened." Kristoff's eyes lit up. "Guess what? Grand Pabbie said that Elsa shouldn't have any more troubles with Dagon's powers!"

"That's not fair!"

"Not fair? I thought you'd be ecstat-"

"No, you didn't give me a chance to guess."

Kristoff laughed. "I didn't did I? How have things been here while I've been away?"

Anna was almost bouncing as she told him. "Everything's been great! Elsa's doing fine and her powers stopped giving her trouble. So I guess we kind of knew that already but still it's nice to have it confirmed and everything, you know? And you'll never guess what Dagon's been doing-" Anna came to a sudden stop.

"Well?" Kristoff said. "What's he been doing"

"Oh, come on!" Anna said. "Guess!"

"He's terrible at guessing," Sven said, voice oddly in sync with Kristoff's mouth's movement.

Kristoff swiped at Sven's head. "Hey! I'm not that bad!"

Sven gave Anna a look. "Yes he is."

"I can guess!"

"You'd better just tell him."

"I can guess! Did he-"

"-He's been helping all of the former member of the Army of the Wastes! He's getting them settled down and giving them moral support and everything!"

Kristoff muttered something that sounded like "I could have guessed," but Anna kept going.

"Of course some of them refused to turn a new leaf and had to be arrested but I looks like most of them were just doing what their higher-ups told them. That boney-faced creep with a broken nose-"

Kristoff and Anna shared a grin.

"-Tried to stab Dagon so he ended up in a nice, cold cell. But you'd never believe that bald-headed one keeps cats. Cats! Does he look like the cat-type to you?"

Kristoff opened his mouth to answer.

"Me neither," Anna went on. "And Jacob got arrested briefly but we ended up letting him go. He stepped down from his position as emissary and been spending time with his family. Dagon's been giving him a lot of support."

"Dagon again? Are you sure this is the same Dagon we're talking about?"

An occasional interjection was always necessary when talking to Anna to make sure she remembers to breath.

"He's changed a lot. Kaja says she's been keeping an eye on him."

Kristoff laughed. They'd been doing a lot of that lately. "So she's fine even after more than ten years of being frozen solid?"

"Well, she lost sight in one eye and a couple of fingers. And there's the whole thing that she cheated out of ten years of growing so she's a lot younger than Dagon now. But she's the perkiest thing ever!"

Kristoff looked at the princess and seriously doubted that. But he gave a positive response. "That's amazing!"

"Love can be pretty powerful."

"Sure can..."

Anna broke away and leaned way over on the railing to stare again at the ship. They stood in silence for a few moments before Sven nudged Kristoff's pocket with his nose.

"I'm hungry," Sven said.

Kristoff sighed. "Aren't you always?" All the same he pulled out a carrot and held it out. Sven snapped at it but Kristoff pulled it away. "What do you say?" he prompted.

"Please?" he voiced Sven's words.

"Good boy," Kristoff said handing him the carrot. Sven bit off half of the carrot and Kristoff raised the other half to his own mouth.

"Oh no you don't!" Anna snatched the carrot from his hands.

"Hey!" Kristoff said.

Anna fed the rest of the carrot to Sven. "I'll have no more of that."

Kristoff rolled his eyes. "Come on Anna it's just-"

"Here he comes!" Anna said. She smoothed back her hair and leaned over the stone railing.

"Here who comes?" Kristoff said looking around.

Below them a pair of guards from the Southern Isle were dragging Hans up the plank and into the ship docked not too far away. Has glared profusely up at Anna.

"You haven't heard the last of me!" he shouted. "Just you wait! I'll settle our score once and for all!"

"Go ahead," Anna called. "I'll wait."

"Take me seriously!" Hans shouted as the guards tugged him onto the ship.

"Give your big brothers my blessings! And don't forget to tell them about your big plan to get even with me!"

"I'm never going to forgive you for this!"

"Bye-bye! Have fun." Anna waved at him. "Enjoy your trip!"

"You seemed overly polite," Kristoff said.

"You're just jealous you didn't get a chance to deck him," Anna said. Then she poked him in the stomach. "Or maybe you're jealous in a different way?"

"Jealous? of him?"

Anna put a hand on Sven's side and they started to walk away. "You are aren't you?"

"Please, Hans is a psychopath!" Kristoff said trotting after them.

Anna laughed and batted at Kristoff's arm. Then she forced a stoic face onto herself. "I don't know. He isn't _that_ bad."

Kristoff laughed."Now you're just being ridiculous."

"Oh really? How do you know?"

Kristoff grinned impishly. "Is that so? Well, how do you know I was visiting the _trolls_ while I was gone?"

Anna squared off her shoulders as they walked into the Arendelle courtyard, through the gates that were so wonderfully open. "What are you implying?"

"Well maybe," Kristoff said, "I was actually with this wonderful girl I met who-"

"_You did what?_"

Kristoff crossed his arms. "Now who's jealous?"

"Kristoff you didn't," Anna said.

"Don't worry," Kristoff said. "It was a joke."

Anna started to walk ahead of him.

"C'mon, were are you going? It was a joke!"

Anna turned to face him. "To grill every girl in the city!"

"Anna come back here! It was a joke!"

-x-X-x-

Elsa reached out a hand to catch some of the gently falling snow in the palm of her hand. She really did have to figure out what to do about her hair. Painful as it was Elsa had begun to come to terms with the fact she may have to start over. Take a pair of scissors and- she shook her head. Now wasn't the time to think of such things. Instead she looked up at Anna and Kristoff and smiled. They had the strangest ways of teasing each other. Anna wasn't even walking towards the town.

Elsa cast a glance at the ground that was already turning white from the snow. Normal snow. The kind that came with the change of seasons.

Olaf walked up beside her, a brand new nose sitting in his face. "I love all of these happy endings," he said.

Elsa bent down to scoop up a handful of the snow. "They're the best," she said as she rounded off the handful. But she then added with a darker note, "but people got hurt. I'll have to try my hardest to help them get better."

"Sometime trying is all we can do," Olaf said.

"Sometime," Elsa said. "But you know what? As long as we hold love in our hearts we can always help those we protect."

Olaf poked at his chest. "I don't have a heart."

Elsa laughed and rubbed his head. "You have one of the biggest hearts I know!"

Olaf seemed contented at this and Elsa withdrew her hand and finished rounding off the ball of snow. She gazed at it for a moment before throwing it, hitting Anna squarely in the back of the head.

Elsa ran to the side, avoided a returned snowball, and scooped up another handful of snow off the ground.

"I'm going to get you for that!" Anna shouted with a laugh.

The four of them exchanged snowballs while Sven romped around, rolling in the snow as though he was falling off of the world. By the time the sun dipped low in the sky coloring the horizon a bright red they had collapsed in the snow laughing and panting with a warmth that one would not think could be found in the cold.

...End.

* * *

><p><strong>AN** You probably remember I promised a surprise here in the last chapter. I'm a man of my word. But tell ya what. Just take a breath here if you want so as not to spoil the ending. I'll wait.

Okay I'm back. Now somewhere in this story is a little ode to "The Wizard of Oz". There are others thrown in but that one was especially well-hidden. See if you can find it.

Now I know what you're thinking, "that's the worst surprise at then end of a story I've ever read!" But give me the benefit of the doubt for a second. The real surprise is up next.

This story is over. That is true. I switched it to say "complete" and I wrote and "...End" up there. Plus I've been talking about its coming to an end for a little bit now.

Now all of that is true. This story has ended. But that doesn't _necessarily_ mean that it's over. Here's something that surprised even me. I'm going to write a part 2. I felt the part 2 was separate enough to warrant a new story. Plus some details such as chapter length will be different. If all goes well I hope to start publishing some time next week. If all does not go well it may not be until January.

And now finally, I'd like to thank you. I know it may sound sappy and all that but really, thanks. You're having increased the visitor count by even one made a huge difference. Thank you so much.

Okay, that's all. I'm done. Finally.


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